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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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20 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


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1 

2 

3 

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6 

mm. 


:\/^\ 


itafir' 


WMt'mia  - '  J  ^v 


TWO  YOUNG  PATRIOTS 


1 

( 


i 


.iiiiPWU-nwimi      — 


WAR  OF  THE  REVOLUTION  SERIES. 

By  EVERETT  T.  TOMLINSON,  Ph.D. 
ILLUSTRATED  BY  CHARLES  COPELAND. 


THREE  COLONIAL  BOYS.     A  Story  of  the  Times 

of  '76.     368  pages.    Cloth.     i2nio     $1.50. 

THREE  YOUNG  CONTINENTALS.  A  Story  of  the 
American  Revolution.  364  pages.  Cloth.  i2ino. 
$itp. 

WASHINGTON'S  YOUNG  AIDS.  A  Story  of  the 
New  Jersey  Campaign,  1 776-1777.  391  pages.  Cloth. 
i2mo.    ti.tfi. 

TWO  YOUNG  PATRIOTS :  or,  Boys  of  the  Frontier. 
A  Story  of  Burgoyne's  Invasion.  366  pages.  Cloth. 
i2ino.    fi.50. 


■*» 


jfiwjtjwiwwMg^ttiiiaettiaF^^  — -. 


,m^ 


J 


i 


•■5 


Two  Young  Patriots 


OR 


BOYS  OF  THE  FRONTIER 
a  fttorp  of  IBurgopnr '0  3nnba«ion 

/ 

EVERETT  tAoMLINSON 

AUTHOR  OF  "THREE  .0..(,NIA..  H..VS,"""  THREE  VOUNi;  CONTINENTALS- 
"WASHINOTON'S   VOUNO  AIDS."  ETC. 

ILLUSTRATED  BY 
CHARLES  COPELAND 


BOSTON  AND  CHICAGO 
W.  A.  WILDE  &  COMPANY 


■HI 


i 


Copyright,  1898, 
By  W.  a.  Wilde  &  Company. 

/4//  ri^tts  reserved. 


TWO  YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


TWO  COPIES  RECEIVED. 


1st  C0^*  .' 
189    . 


k. 


1 


'] 


^^ 


Co 
RUSSELL  B.   ORCUTT 


'    !J 


■«W»a«|tW!W^^8©RWSWI!RMa(^^ 


^1 X 


^     ' 


PREFACE. 

In  the  historical  setting  of  this  story  I  have  made  use 
of  the  works  of  Fiske,  Dawson,  Lossing,  Stone,  Drake, 
Neilson,  Stedman,  Wilkinson,  Madame  de  Riedesel's  Let- 
ters, and  also  .the  various  local  traditions  and  histories. 
I  have  endeavored  not  only  to  give  my  young  readers  a 
story,  but  also  a  correct  outline  of  the  invasion  itself. 

For  many  of  the  incidents  and  adventures  there  is  war- 
rant in  the  local  and  family  records.  I  have,  however, 
made  use  of  a  story-teller's  license,  and  have  ventured  to 
modify  and  adapt  some  of  these  to  the  demands  of  this 
book.  But  although  some  of  them  are  slightly  varied  in 
the  use  I  have  made  of  them,  still  I  trust  they  will  serve 
the  purpose  of  imparting  a  true  flavor  to  the  narrative 
of  the  life  and  conditions  of  the  region  through  which 
John  Burgoyne  passed  with  his  army. 

Aboye  all,  if  this  story  shall  deepen  the  love  of  country 
in  the  hearts  of  the  oncoming  generation,  and  teach  them 
to  place  a  higher  value  upon  that  for  which  so  many  of 
the  "  men  of  '76"  (and  '^^^  were  willing  to  give  even  their 
lives,  the  work  will  have  gained  its  own  reward.  To 
uphold  that  which  our  fathers'  fathers  strove  to  hold  up, 
demands  a  patriotism  as  high  as  that  which  was  mani- 
fested during  the  now  famous  invasion  of  John  Burgoyne. 

EVERETT  T.   TOMLINSON. 
7 


—fmammmaw 


^v 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 

I.  On  the  Frontier 

II.  The  Refuge  in  the  Beech-Tree 

III.  The  Meeting  by  the  Beech-Tree 

IV.  The  Conference 

V.  jAiRus  Acts        .... 

VI.  The  Struggle  in  the  Water  . 

VII.  Within  the  Fort 

VIII.  Jeremiah  Investigates 

IX.  The  Return  of  David  Jones   . 

X.  Burgovne  approaches  Ticonderoga 

XI.  Besieged 

XII.  The  Difficulties  are  Increased 

XIII.  "he  Fall  of  the  Old  Fort    . 

XIV.  The  Bold  Young  Sergeant     . 
XV.  An  Unexpected  Visitor    . 

XVI.  A  Prize 

XVII.  What  the  Armies  were  Doing 

XVIII.  Samuel's  Return 

XIX.  A  Toilsome  Journey 

XX.  An  Early  Morning  Start 

XXI.  A  Raid        ,        .^     . 

9 


PAGB 

>3 
23 
33 
43 
54 

6S 
76 
86 

96 

107 
117 
129 

'39 
ISO 
160 
172 

183 
194 

206 
218 
230 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTBR 

XXII.  The  Hattle  in  the  Ravine  . 

XXIII.  A  Stkuogle  with  the  Hessians   . 

XXIV.  The  Return  of  the  Panther 
XXV.  A  New  Companion  .... 

XXVI.  Samuel  goes  on  Timothy's  Expedition 

XXVII.  The  "  Irishman's  Gun  "  . 

XXVIII.  A  Parting 

XXIX.  The  Advance  of  John  Burgovne 

XXX.  The  Beginning  of  the  End  . 

XXXI.  The  Final  Struggle 

XXXII.  Conclusion 


PAlil'. 
242 

266 

278 
290 

3"2 

323 

334 
345 
357 


^L. 


PAOR 
343 

366 
378 
390 
301 
312 

334 
345 
357 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


"  An  Indian  war-dance  followed  the  conference  " 

Frontispiece      52 

"  Still  the  canoe  sped  on.     Still  the  lad  did  nut  lay  down 

the  paddle " 74  / 


1/ 


"  Suddenly  he  discovered  an  Indian  quickly  darting  from 

tree  to  tree" 120 

"  '  Who  are  you  ?    What  are  you  doing  here  ? '  "  .         .     209   ^ 

"  Jairus  found  himself  riding  by  the  side  of  Prudence  "         .     288  / 

II 


TWO    YOUNG    PATRIOTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 


ON    THE    FRONTIER. 

"  We've  lost  another  lamb.  There  are  tracks  all 
around  the  pen,  and  some  pieces  of  wool  on  the 
bushes." 

"That  makes  four  we've  lost  in  less  than  ten 
days,  doesn't  it } " 

"Yes.  We've  lost  more  than  we  have  left. 
Probably  the  others  will  be  gone  in  ten  days  more." 

"I  heard  the  wolves  howling  last  night,  but  I 
hoped  they  wouldn't  be  able  to  do  any  damage  this 
time.  It's  too  bad,  Jairus.  You'll  have  to  try  the 
trap  again,  I  think." 

"I'll  try  it,  but  it  won't  amount  to  much,  I'm 
thinking.     Where's  Sam?" 

"  I  saw  him  and  Arthur  go  down  towards  the 
shore  not  long  ago.  I  don't  just  know  where  they 
are.  You  haven't  seen  or  heard  anything  more 
from  Albany,  have  you  ? " 

»3 


14 


riVO    YOUNG   PATRIOTS, 


"  Haven't  heard  a  word,  mother.  I  guess  it's 
mostly  talk,  anyhow.  Just  now  I'm  a  j;oocl  deal 
more  interested  in  the  wolf  (jU'  stion  than  I  an',  in 
what  Cieneral  Hurgoyne  is  doing,  or  what  they  say 
he's  doing.  I  guess  (ieneral  I'hilip  Schuyler  will 
be  able  to  look  after  him.  Hut  I'll  look  up  the  boys 
now,  and  see  what  we  can  do  to  put  a  damper  on 
these  wolves.    They're  growing  bolder  every  night." 

Thus  speaking,  Jairus  Goodwin  ran  quickly  out 
from  the  low  log  house  which  was  his  home,  in 
search  of  his  brother.  He  did  not  turn  to  see  his 
mother,  who  was  still  standing  in  the  doorway,  evi- 
dently perplexed  and  sadly  troubled  over  something. 
Just  what  it  was  could  not  be  seen;  for  apparently 
on  that  June  morning  in  1777  there  was  nothing  to 
alarm  or  vex  her,  unless  it  was  the  loss  of  lambs 
which  the  prowling  wolves  had  carried  away  within 
the  last  ten  days. 

It  did  not  appear,  however,  that  her  thoughts 
were  of  her  loss;  for  long  after  Jairus  had  disap- 
peared from  sight  she  still  remained  in  the  door- 
way, looking  out  towards  Lake  Champlain  as  if  she 
either  was  expecting  some  one  to  come  from  that 
direction,  or  was  fearful  that  some  one  might  come 
she  did  not  wish  to  see. 

But  visitors  at  the  Goodwin  home  were  very  few. 
Three  years  before  this  time  the  widow  Goodwin, 
soon  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  had  crossed 
from  the  Vermont  side  to  the  New  York  side  of 
Lake  Champlain,  and,  almost  the  only  settlers  for 


•fPIT 


OA'    Tim   h  KOMI  EH. 


n 


miles  around,  with  her  two  boys,  (aims  and  Samiul. 
had  made  a  new  home  in  the  wilderness.  The 
other  ehildren  in  her  family  were  grown  and  mar- 
ried, and  had  homes  of  their  own. 

A  eordial  invitation  had  been  extended  to  Mrs. 
Goodwin  to  make  her  home  with  one  of  her  daugh- 
ters in  Massachusetts,  whence  all  the  family  had 
come  a  few  years  before  ;  but  partly  for  the  sake  of 
ner  two  boys,  now  sturdy  young  fellows  of  seven- 
teen and  nineteen,  and  partly  because  of  her  desire 
to  be  independent,  she  had  chosen  to  remain  in  the 
home  on  the  frontier. 

Troubles,  however,  are  not  prone  to  come  singly, 
and  the  widow  Goodwin's  experience  proved  to  be 
no  exception  to  this  rule.  Her  husband  had  not 
been  dead  three  months  before  his  brother  laid 
claim  to  the  land  he  had  taken  up  and  cleared.  All 
considerations  for  the  family,  which  ought  to  have 
appealed  to  him  the  more  strongly  in  their  time  of 
need,  were  forgotten,  and  disregarding  the  protests 
of  his  own  wife  and  children,  and  the  pleadings  of 
the  widow  and  the  fatherless,  he  had  persisted  in 
claiming  what  he  insisted  was  his  own. 

And  the  laws  had  borne  him  out  in  his  claim,  as 
sometimes  even  the  best  of  laws  are  found  to  be 
upon  the  side  of  the  stronger.  For  a  time  the  sor- 
rowful woman  did  not  know  what  to  do.  The 
daughter's  home  was  still  open  to  her,  but  the 
thought  of  her  boys  increased  her  desire  to  be  inde- 
pendent for  their  sake  as  well  as  for  her  own ;  and 


I 


i6 


TWO    YOVNG  PATRIOTS. 


after  hesitating  for  a  month,  she  finally  yiilclect  (0 
the  urgent  words  of  the  lads  and  classed  tht  liUe 
with  their  few  possessions  and  took  up  a  ch\ini  on 
the  New  York  side  of  the  lake. 

There,  little  difficulty  had  been  experienced  in 
establishing  themselves,  perhaps  one  reason  being 
that  there  were  so  few  settlers  in  the  region,  that  no 
one  cared  to  dispute  her  claim. 

Two  years  of  the  hardest  kind  of  work  had  fol- 
lowed, and  at  the  time  when  our  story  opens  the 
results  were  plainly  manifest.  The  little  log  house 
had  some  marks  of  comfort  about  it.  Flowers  were 
in  bloom,  and  vines  were  climbing  over  its  rough 
sides.  Wild  flowers  many  of  them  were  it  is  true, 
but  none  the  less  beautiful  on  that  account,  and 
quick  to  respond  to  the  care  which  the  widow 
Goodwin,  in  spite  of  the  arduous  duties  of  the 
pioneer  life,  had  somehow  found  time  to  bestow 
upon  them. 

Nor  had  Jairus  and  Samuel  been  idle.  They 
had  built  two  barns  and  a  sheep-pen,  the  latter  at 
some  distance  from  the  house  and  near  a  spring 
which  never  failed  in  its  supply  of  fresh  cool  water. 
Many  of  the  trees  of  the  forest  had  fallen  by  their 
hands,  and  little  patches  of  corn  and  grain  could  be 
seen  here  and  there  as  the  results  oi  their  labors. 

Difficult  as  the  struggle  with  nature  always  is, 
there  were  some  things  which  apparently  were  on 
the  side  of  the  settlers.  The  waters  of  the  lake 
abounded  in  fish,  and  slight  efforts  were  required  to 


ON   THR  FRONTIER. 


«7 


iildect  to 
tht  I:ikc 
claim  ofi 

ienced  in 
ion  being 
n,  that  no 

:  had  fol- 
jpcns  the 
log  house 
wers  were 
its  rough 
it  is  true, 
ount,  and 
le  widow 
es  of  the 

0  bestow 

le.     They 

e  latter  at 

a  spring 

001  water. 
1  by  their 
\  could  be 

labors, 
always  is, 
y  were  on 

the  lake 
squired  to 


supply  ihfir  tabic  with  bass,  and  pickcrtl,  and 
perch.  Many  a  tinic  the  boys  had  conic  home  from 
their  labors,  and  almost  exhausted  though  they 
were,  had  found  a  relaxation  in  taking  their  rude 
skiff  and  pushing  out  a  little  distancj  into  the  lake, 
and  there  landing  the  hungry  fish  which  eagerly 
seized  the  bait  they  offered. 

Then,  too,  there  were  times  when  the  forests 
would  be  darkened  by  immense  flocks  of  pigeons, 
and  frequently  the  boys  had  kept  their  table  well 
supplied  with  the  birds  they  had  brought  to  the 
ground,  simply  by  striking  them  with  a  pole. 

The  red  deer  were  so  plentiful  and  so  little  afraid 
of  men  that  no  difficulty  was  experienced  in  shoot- 
ing all  they  needed  for  food,  and  beyond  that  the 
young  frontiersmen  never  cared  to  go. 

Killing  for  the  sake  of  killing  had  no  pleasure  for 
them,  and,  indeed,  was  reserved  for  a  later  civiliza- 
tion, which  sometimes  boasts  of  its  superio'ity  and 
looks  back  condescendingly  upon  the  rude  pioneers 
to  whom  Jairus  and  Samuel  undoubtedly  belonged. 
For  their  hands  were  hard  and  horny,  their  clothing 
rough  and  home-made,  and  it  is  more  than  likely 
that  their  table  manners  and  uncouth  speech  might 
have  shocked  some  of  the  readers  of  this  story  could 
they  have  been  placed,  by  some  power,  where  they 
could  have  met  these  boys  of  the  frontier. 

But  in  nobility  of  purpose,  in  sturdy  integrity,  in 
the  love  of  their  mother  and  willingness  to  do  their 
utmost  for  her,  it  is  just  possible  that  they  might 


•;?*■:?, 


i8 


riFO    YOUNG  PATRrOTS. 


ha\c  compared  quite  well  with  some  of  the  faultless 
young  ladies  and  gentlemen  who  arc  privileged  to 
see  the  closing  years  of  one  century  and  the  open- 
ing  of  another. 

It  is  true  there  was  another  side  to  all  this.  The 
tarne  red  deer,  the  pigeons,  which  almost  seemed  to 
wait  to  be  caught,  the  fish,  which  in  the  cool  of  the 
evening  leaped  almost  constantly  from  the  water, 
were  not  all  that  could  be  found  in  ^he  region. 
Bears  were  frequently  seen,  the  long,  lonesome 
howls  of  the  wolves  could  be  heard  almost  every 
night,  and  more  than  once  the  shrill,  whimpering, 
almost  human  cry  of  the  hungry  panther,  or  "  cata- 
mount," as  the  pioneers  called  the  fierce  beast,  also 
could  be  heard.  Every  rose  has  its  thorn  we  are 
told,  and  even  the  exhilaration  and  freedom  of  the 
pioneer  life  had  other  drawbacks  than  its  hard  work 
and  its  loneliness. 

One  fact,  however,  must  not  be  passed  over  in 
our  story.  Hard  as  were  the  feelings  of  the  widow 
Goodwin  towards  her  husband's  brother  for  his 
theft  of  her  land,  for  so  she  virtually  regarded  it, 
her  feeling  towards  his  wife  had  been  unchanged. 
For  her,  she  cherished  a  tender  regard,  which  even 
the  loss  of  her  home  could  not  lessen,  and  many 
were  the  tokens  of  love  that  were  sent  her  from  her 
sister-in-law  by  the  traders  or  the  Indians  as  they 
went  up  the  lake  from  St.  John's,  where  the  other 
family  now  resided. 

About  a  month  previous  to  this  June  morning, 


■wi> w\  i)»yi,'niiip»L) 


L 


'^. 


ON  THE  FRONTIER. 


'9 


the  cousin  of  the  boys,  Arthur  (Goodwin,  a  boy  of 
their  own  age,  had  made  his  way  up  the  river 
and  the  lake  in  his  canoe,  which  he  had  fitted  out 
with  sails.  The  time  of  his  visit  was  near  its  end 
now,  and  if  the  truth  must  be  told,  neither  of  his 
cousins  feel  much  regret  at  the  thought  of  parting; 
for  Arthur  Goodwin  had  inherited  many  more  of 
his  father's  qualities  than  he  had  of  his  mother's, 
and,  in  addition  to  all  that,  he  was  so  bitter  in  his 
words  against  the  struggling  colonies,  that  more 
than  once  he  and  the  boys  had  come  well-nigh  to 
blows  in  their  heated  debates. 

Mrs.  Goodwin  had  done  all  in  her  power  to  keep 
peace;  but  although  they  were  so  far  from  neigh- 
bors and  out  of  the  path  of  travel,  the  intense  feeling 
of  the  times  was  not  unknown  in  this  lonely  home. 
And  Jairus  and  Samuel  were  as  ardent  in  their 
feelings  towards  the  colonies,  as  ever  Arthur  had 
been  for  the  mother  country  and  His  Majesty  King 
George  III. 

He  had,  however,  brought  with  him  a  report 
which  had  sadly  troubled  the  widow  Goodwin.  In 
the  preceding  autumn,  General  John  Burgoyne  had 
sailed  for  England,  to  lay  before  the  king  his  plan 
for  conquering  the  colonies.  And  a  well-conceived 
plan  it  was  too;  but  the  planning  is  one  thing,  and 
executing  is  quite  another,  as  many  have  found  out 
long  before  this  story  was  written,  and  sometimes  to 
their  sorrow. 
Burgoyne   was   eager  and    ambitious,   a   fluent 


20 


TWO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


talker,  and  as  he  had  been  engaged  in  the  battle 
of  Bunker  Hill  and  in  the  campaign  of  1776-77,  he 
was  listened  to  with  attention,  his  petition  was  heard, 
and  his  plan  approved. 

And  what  was  his  plan  ?  To  divide  the  colonies 
into  two  parts,  by  gaining  possession  of  the  Hudson, 
and  so  keeping  the  eastern  and  the  southern  men 
from  acting  together.  General  Clinton  was  to  come 
up  the  Hudson  with  his  army  from  New  York,  and 
at  Albany  meet  Burgoyne,  who  was  to  come  down 
the  lakes  from  Canada.  A  part  of  Burgoyne's  army 
was  to  be  given  to  St.  Leger,  who  was  to  go  from 
Montreal  up  the  St.  Lawrence  river  to  Lake 
Ontario  and  take  Oswego,  and  then  also  move  on 
down  the  Mohawk  valley  to  Albany,  where  he  was 
to  meet  the  other  two  generals,  and  if  each  should 
be  successful,  and  not  one  of  the  three  had  a  doubt 
of  that,  then  the  entire  region  would  be  brought 
under  the  control  of  the  British,  the  American 
traders  would  be  kept  apart,  and  soon  King  George 
could  dictate  terms  to  all  of  his  rebellious  subjects 
in  America. 

Reports  of  all  these  plans  young  Arthur  Goodwin 
had  heard  from  his  father,  and  he  related  them  to 
his  cousins  with  many  boastings  of  what  would  soon 
be  done. 

The  boys  had  laughed  and  replied  with  bantering 
words,  but  the  widow  Goodwin  had  been  sadly 
troubled ;  for  she  feared  there  was  more  than  idle 
talk  in  the  lad's  words. 


^»S0m 


L 


ON   THE  FKONTIEK. 


21 


le  colonies 
e  Hudson, 
thern  men 
as  to  come 
York,  and 
ome  down 
yne's  army 
:o  go  irom 
to    Lake 


ich  should 
id  a  doubt 
e  brought 
American 
ig  George 
IS  subjects 

r  Goodwin 
d  them  to 
iTOuld  soon 

bantering 
sadly 
than  idle 


If  the  British  should  attempt  to  carry  out  any 
such  plan,  it  was  more  than  likely  that  they  would 
pass  not  far  from  her  home.  And  what  then? 
Many  times  she  found  herself  wondering  what  the 
outcome  would  be;  and  as  she  stood  in  the  door- 
way that  summer  morning,  watching  Jairus  as  he 
ran  towards  the  shore  of  the  lake,  her  thoughts  were 
far  more  of  the  possible  coming  of  redcoats  than  of 
the  loss  of  the  lambs,  serious  as  that  was. 

The  birds  were  twittering  in  the  branches,  and 
the  very  air  seemed  to  be  filled  with  their  music 
and  with  the  perfume  of  the  wild  flowers.  The 
sunlight  filtered  through  between  the  whispering 
leaves,  and  only  peacefulness  and  quiet  seemed  to 
be  pictured  on  every  side.  But  the  widow  Good- 
win, though  she  was  never  prone  to  borrow  trouble, 
was  insensible  to  the  beauty  of  the  June  morning. 
Arthur's  boastful  words  were  not  forgotten,  and 
her  heart  was  heavy  with  a  great  fear. 

Two  hours  later  the  three  boys  entered  the  house 
together.  "  We've  fixed  the  wolf-trap,  mother,"  said 
Jairus,  "and  perhaps  we  can  put  a  stop  to  this 
thieving." 

"Not  much  use,"  said  Arthur.  "I  tell  you, 
Johnnie  Burgoyne's  coming  down  here,  and  you'll 
have  to  turn  everything  over  to  him,  or  else  get 
out." 

"  He's  worse  than  the  wolves,  I'll  own,"  said 
Jairus  angrily;  "but  till  he  comes,  we'll  fight  the 
others." 


S^iHISt^ajBWEipinf? 


al 


TH^O    YOUNG   PATRIOTS. 


There  was  •  work  to  be  done,  however,  and  no 
time  for  quarrelling.  Just  before  dusk  the  two 
cows  must  be  milked,  and  the  calves,  which  thus 
far  had  escaped  the  wolves  and  bears,  must  be 
cared  for. 

The  next  morning,  as  soon  as  the  early  chores 
were  done  and  breakfast  over,  the  three  boys  started 
for  their  traps.  Again  their  mother  stood  in  the 
doorway,  watching  them  until  they  disappeared 
from  her  sight  in  the  forest. 

Then,  turning  about,  she  resumed  her  work  with 
a  sigh,  but  her  sigh  would  have  been  deeper  could 
she  have  foreseen  that  many  a  long  day  was  to  pass 
before  the  trio  would  reenter  her  home. 


MP 


l^ 


'er,  and  no 
ik  the  two 
which  thus 
s,  must   be 

arly  chores 
)oys  started 
ood  in  the 
iisappeared 

•  work  with 
;eper  could 
was  to  pass 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE    REFUGE    IN   THE    BEECH-TREE. 

The  sun  had  not  been  long  above  the  horizon 
when  the  boys  started  on  their  errand.  The  sheep- 
pen  was  at  some  little  disjtance  from  the  house,  and 
had  been  built  on  a  sloping  hillside  where  there 
was  an  open  space  in  the  forest,  and  the  grass 
grew  richer  there  than  anywhere  else  about  the 
clearing. 

"  I  heard  a  howl  last  night  that  seemed  to  raise 
the  hair  from  my  head,"  said  Jairus,  as  they  walked 
on  together.  "  I  had  a  mind  to  wake  you  both  up, 
and  go  out  to  see  what  it  meant." 

"  Lucky  you  didn't,"  laughed  Samuel.  "  I've  no 
particular  desire  to  face  a  pack  of  hungry  wolves  in 
the  night.     I  don't  feel  over  bold  as  it  is." 

"  That's  because  you  are  younger  than  we  are," 
replied  Arthur.  "  I  used  to  feel  that  way  when  I 
was  your  age,  but  I've  got  all  over  it  now." 

"  My  venerable  cousin,"  said  Samuel  with  a  mock 
reverence,  "  I'd  forgotten  that  both  you  and  Jairus 
are  a  year  and  a  half  older  than  I  am.  When  I  am 
as  old  as  you  are,  I  shall  try  to  recall  all  your  words 

23 


I 


24 


TIVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


^ 


m 


of  wisdom.  It  may  be  that  I  shall  be  as  brave  and 
bold  then  as  you  are  now." 

"  Stop  your  nonsense,"  said  Jairus.  "  We're  close 
to  the  pen  now.  There,  you  can  hear  the  sheep ! 
Let's  creep  up  without  making  any  noise.  Maybe 
we've  got  something." 

"  You  won't  get  anything,"  growled  Arthur.  "  You 
don't  know  how  to  set  a  wolf-trap,  to  say  nothing  of 
baiting  it.     Now  the  way  we  do  at  St.  John's  —  " 

"  Bother  you  and  St.  John's  both ! "  replied  Jairus 
sharply.  "Keep  still,  can't  you?  We  don't  want 
to  make  any  more  noise  than  is  necessary." 

The  boys  became  silent,  although  Arthur  mut- 
tered some  word  that  sounded  very  like  "  afraid  " ; 
but  they  were  all  too  eager  now  to  heed  his  dis- 
agreeable manners,  and  in  a  few  moments  the 
sheep-pen  came  within  sight,  and  they  all  ran 
eagerly  forward  into  the  clearing. 

The  trap  had  been  set  on  the  farther  side  of  the 
pen,  near  the  place  where  the  wolf,  on  the  previous 
night,  had  broken  in,  and  in  a  brief  time  the  boys 
ran  together  around  the  corner  and  approached  the 
spot. 

"  There,  I  told  you  you  didn't  know  how  to  set 
a  wolf-trap.     Now  at  St.  John's  we'd  have  —  " 

"Stop  your  noise,  Arthur,  and  help  us  find  the 
trap,  will  you  "i  No  wolf  would  have  got  very  far 
away  with  that  trap  fast  to  one  of  his  legs,  I  know," 
said  Jairus,  looking  ruefully  at  the  place  where  the 
trap  had  been  fastened. 


IBIIIWIMW 


THE  REFUGE  LV  THE  BEECII-TREE. 


25 


brave  and 

^e're  close 
he  sheep  I 
:.     Maybe 

ur.    "You 

lothing  of 

in's  — 

ied  Jairus 

on't  want 
»» 

thur  mut- 
"  afraid"; 
d  his  dis- 
lents  the 
y  all   ran 

de  of  the 
previous 
the  boys 

ached  the 


5  find  the 
t  very  far 
,  I  know," 
ivhere  the 


There  had  evidently  been  a  struggle  of  some 
kind,  for  the  chain  was  broken  and  the  piece  that 
remained  showed  the  marks  of  teeth  upon  it. 

"  Must  have  been  a  gray  wolf,"  said  Samuel,  "  or 
else  the  chain  was  broken  before  you  set  the  trap." 

"  I  think  the  chain  was  all  right,  Sam,"  replied 
Jairus,  stooping  and  carefully  examining  the  link. 
"Well,  it's  gone,  anyway,  whatever  took  it  away. 
Let's  look  in  the  pen  and  see  if  the  sheep  and 
lambs  are  still  there.  Here,  I'll  go  in  and  you  stay 
here,"  he  added  as  he  flung  back  the  rude  door  and 
entered  the  enclosure.  "They're  all  there,  but 
something's  frightened  them,"  he  said  as  he  soon 
rejoined  the  boys.  "They're  all  huddled  up  to- 
gether, and  seem   almost   too  scared   to  make  a 


noise. 


"  You'd  have  had  it  all  right  if  you'd  done  as  I 
told  you  with  the  trap,"  said  Arthur.  "  They  never 
fix  'em  that  way  at  St.  John's,  I  can  tell  you.  Up 
there  we  always  know  how." 

"  Saint  Arthur,  if  you  don't  stop  talking  about 
St.  John's,  I'll  fix  a  trap  for  you  yourself,"  said 
Samuel  angrily. 

He  might  quarrel  with  Jairus  himself,  but  when 
it  came  to  listening  to  another  abuse  him,  that  was 
a  different  matter  entirely,  and  his  loyalty  was  at 
once  aroused. 

"  Come  on,  boys,"  said  Jairus;  "the  fellow  couldn't 
have  got  far  away.  Let's  look  for  him,  though 
perhaps  we  shan't   find   anything   but   his   bones. 


itta^wu*^aB^ftJ'AfeHrfe*^l^l&,ti>>w^l^^^. 


96 


riyO   YOUNG  PAJRIUTS. 


They're  regular  cannibals,  wolves  are,  and  like 
nothing  better  than  a  good,  fat,  mutton-fed  wolf  for 
dinner,  if  he's  hurt  so  badly  he  can't  fight  back. 
They're  most  as  big  sneaks  as  the  Tories ! " 

Arthur's  face  flushed  as  he  replied:  "You 
wouldn't  talk  that  way  if  you  weren't  two  to  one. 
I'd  like  to  know  which  are  the  big  sneaks,  the  men 
who  come  out  squarely  for  the  king,  or  those  that 
try  to  dodge  their  honest  debts?  Who  furnished 
an  army  to  keep  the  bloody  Frenchmen  out  of  this 
very  country?  Who  furnished  the  guns,  and  boats, 
and  ammunition?  Who  kept  the  Frenchers  out 
of  these  lands  ?  " 

"  It  wasn't  the  Frenchers  that  got  into  our  land," 
said  Jairus  sharply. 

The  words  were  hardly  spoken  before  Jairus  re- 
gretted them.  He  had  promised  his  mother  that 
he  would  not  make  any  reference  to  the  deeds  of 
Arthur's  father ;  for,  as  she  said,  Arthur  was  not  to 
blame  for  the  sins  of  another,  and  she  well  knew 
how  his  mother  sorrowed  over  the  entire  matter. 
Recalling  all  this,  he  was  on  the  point  of  apologiz- 
ing, but  the  expression  of  hatred  on  his  cousin's 
face  kept  him  silent. 

"  That's  about  the  way  my  father  says  it  always 
is  with  paupers,"  sneered  Arthur.  "  The  more  you 
do  for  them,  the  more  you  may.  You  let  them  live 
on  your  land,  and  they  pretty  soon  think  they  own 
it.  My  father  would  have  let  you  stayed  there 
where  you  were,  only  he  didn't  want  all  he'd  put 


lUMI.ililllllli-.iil'i' 


I II  iiiirir;w»niw«ftiii«n<(r'#*i>  •d^^yiiisnVft 


THE   NEFUGE  IN   THE   REECII-TREE. 


27 


into  the  clearing  to  go  over  to  you  too.  He's  had 
to  work  hard  for  what  he's  got.  But  then,  he  says 
he  doesn't  care.  It's  all  you  can  expect  from  some 
folks." 

Jairus  turned  sharply  at  the  words  of  Arthur,  and 
for  a  moment  there  were  signs  of  serious  trouble : 
but  it  had  almost  always  happened  whenever  two 
of  the  boys  had  had  any  disagreement,  the  third 
had  tried  to  be  peacemaker. 

And  now  Samuel  broke  in,  and  said:  "Oh,  come 
on,  boys !  The  wolf  and  trap  will  both  be  gone  if 
you  don't  quit  this.  They  may  be  as  far  as  St. 
John's  now,  for  all  I  know.  Perhaps  he's  taking 
the  trap  up  there  to  have  it  properly  set ;  or  maybe 
it's  his  leg.     I  don't  know." 

The  brothers  laughed,  but  the  look  on  Arthur's 
face  still  was  one  of  hatred.  The  feeling  of  dis- 
like had  increased  during  his  visit,  until  there  was 
little  prospect  of  the  boys  ever  being  friends  again. 
The  lad  showed  so  many  of  the  cruel  and  revenge- 
ful traits  of  his  father,  that  Mrs.  Goodwin  knew 
the  possibilities  of  future  friendship  between  the 
cousins  was  very  slight  indeed,  and  she  grieved  the 
more  because  she  knew  it  would  be  an  added  grief 
to  Arthur's  mother.  She  had  watched  the  boys 
day  after  day,  and  had  done  all  that  lay  within  her 
power  to  keep  peace  between  them ;  but  the  quar- 
rels had  multiplied,  often  growing  out  of  very  trivial 
matters,  and  this  morning  they  had  almost  reached 
a  climax  near  the  sheep-pen. 


•^  ,i 


•Vj* 


71^0    YOUXG  I  AT  RIOTS. 


"  I'll  not  say  another  word  now,"  said  Arthur 
savagely.  "  I  hate  you  both.  I  despise  you  and  I 
shall  never  sleep  another  night  in  your  house.  I 
only  came  down  here  because  my  mother  wanted 
me  to.  My  father  told  me  just  what  I  might  ex- 
pect, for  he'd  had  the  same  thing  to  meet  himself. 
We  wouldn't  have  treated  you  so  at  St.  John's  if 
you'd  been  there." 

"Oh,  hold  on,  Arthur,"  said  Jairus  quickly. 
"  Don't  go ;  it's  only  talk,  you  know." 

But  Arthur  Goodwin  turned  away  as  if  he  would 
not  listen  to  any  further  words ;  but  he  had  taken 
only  two  or  three  steps  before  he  suddenly  stopped, 
and  for  a  moment  the  quarrel  and  the  bitter  feelings 
were  all  forgotten. 

"Gre-a-t  — " 

He  did  not  complete  his  exclamation  of  surprise 
before  both  his  cousins  were  by  his  side,  and  were 
gazing  with  him  at  the  source  of  his  alarm.  Out 
from  the  bushes  on  the  border  of  the  little  clearing 
there  peered  the  head  of  a  panther.  His  eyes  were 
blazing  with  fury,  and  he  snarled  and  hissed  as  if 
he  were  almost  beside  himself  with  rage. 

For  a  moment  not  one  of  the  boys  moved  or 
spoke.  It  was  not  the  first  time,  by  any  means, 
that  they  had  looked  upon  this  terror  of  the  fron- 
tier; but  never  before  had  they  been  face  to  face, 
with  one,  and  the  first  impulse  now  in  the  heart  of 
each  was  to  turn  and  run.  But  almost  fascinated 
by  the  sight  of  the  furious  beast,  they  still  stood 


'^1'^"'-^°''°'"'^-""T'^'f^-^^'''^^*V^^-^-''*^^'-'*-^^ 


TftF   ^     hVGF.   r        nf.    Hh.  r/f-TKKF.. 


»9 


where  they  h.i.  I  first  se^n  him,  not  even  glancing  at 
each  other. 

The  snarling  panther,  apparently,  was  more  and 
more  enraged  by  the  sight  of  the  motionless  boys 
before  him.  A  shrill  scream  followed  h..-  snarls, 
and  they  could  hear  the  heavy  strokes  of  his  tail  as 
he  lashed  the  bushes  near  him.  Once  or  twice  he 
turned  and  snapped  savagely  at  something  behind 
him;  but  when  he  attempted  to  move,  it  became 
apparent  at  once  that  he  was  held  fast  in  his 
position. 

"  He's  caught  in  the  trap,  boys,"  said  Jairus  in  a 
low  whisper.     "  That's  where  our  trap's  gone." 

A  sigh,  as  of  relief,  escaped  from  his  companions, 
as  Jairus  spoke,  and  the  boys  glanced  at  each  other 
for  a  moment.  All  this  had  happened  in  a  very 
brief  time,  and  the  words  of  Jairus  served  to  recall 
them  to  themselves,  and  to  the  necessity  of  action. 

"Get  your  guns,  boys,"  whispered  Jairus  again; 
for  he  was  the  only  one  who  still  retained  his 
weapon,  the  others  having  laid  theirs  on  the  ground 
when  they  stopped  to  examine  the  broken  chain  of 
the  wolf-trap.  "  I'll  keep  him  covered  with  mine," 
continued  Jairus,  "  while  you  get  yours.  He  can't 
get  away ;  the  trap's  fast  in  the  bushes." 

The  first  movement  on  the  part  of  the  boys 
served  to  increase  the  fury  of  the  panther.  Almost 
beside  himself  with  pain  and  anger,  he  struggled 
to  free  himself,  and  Jairus  was  almost  tempted  to 
shoot.      He   knew,  however,  that  the  guns  were 


■«^^*<<pnMi-iii' -J  Ji  uiii.  mum 


m^m. 


)e  7IVO    YOUXC   /•ATKIOTS. 

lf)a(U'cl  only  with  sliiu[s.  and  Itr  was  fearful  that  a 
sinj^k'  shot  would  only  increase  the  danger,  and 
arouse  the  beast  still  more. 

He  waited  a  moment  for  tlie  boys  to  take  their 
places  again  by  his  side,  an  i  then,  without  taking 
his  eyes  from  the  furious  and  struggling  animal, 
he  said,  "  Now  let  him  have  it,  boys." 

The  report  of  the  guns  was  followed  by  a  scream 
that  almost  caused  the  boys  to  turn  and  run ;  but, 
retreating  only  behind  the  corner  of  the  sheep-pen, 
they  waited  for  the  smoke  to  clear  and  the  true 
condition  of  affairs  to  be  revealed  to  them. 

The  panther  had  sent  forth  the  one  long  shrill 
scream,  and  that  was  all.  For  a  moment  there 
was  a  thrashing  about  among  the  bushes ;  but  that, 
too,  soon  ceased,  and  when  the  smoke  had  lifted,  a 
silence  rested  over  all.  Still  no  one  dared  to  vent- 
ure forth,  and  all  three  hastily  reloaded  their  guns, 
and  waited. 

The  frightened  sheep  were  bleating  pitifully,  but 
the  boys  were  much  too  excited  to  heed  them. 
They  were  all  three  watching  the  bush':*"  fo  see 
whether  the  panther  would  free  himself  and  spring 
out  at  them. 

The  minutes  slowly  passed,  but  the  bleating  of 
the  sheep  was  all  that  could  be  heard.  There  was 
no  movement  within  the  bushes  now,  and  when  ten 
minutes  had  gone,  Jairus  said,  "Come  on,  boys; 
he's  either  dead  or  got  away." 

Slowly  and  carefully  the  boys  approached  the 


THE  KF.FUGE  IX   THE   BEIUII-TRRR, 


jl 


♦^c  see 


place  where  their  enemy  had  been;  hut  slill  im  m'i;h 
of  danger  appeared.  Holding  their  ginis  in  readi- 
ness, they  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  and  at  last  were 
close  to  the  place  in  which  they  had  seen  the 
savage  beast.  "There,  he's  dead,"  said  Arthur 
quickly,  as  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  tawny  body 
within  the  bushes. 

Taking  a  long  branch,  he  thrust  it  within,  and 
slightly  moved  the  body.  As  no  response  was 
made,  the  boys,  satisfied  that  their  enemy  was 
dead,  laid  hold  upon  the  broken  chain,  and  with 
one  strong  pull  drew  forth  the  dead  body  of  the 
panther. 

Even  then,  when  it  lay  stretched  out  motionless 
before  them,  their  fears  had  not  all  ceased.  What 
a  savage-looking  creature  he  was,  even  in  death. 
TK.'  long  claws,  the  half-closed  eyes,  the  great  jaws 
and  teeth,  were  still  there,  though  life  was  gone; 
and  for  a  moment  no  one  spoke. 

But  the  feeling  of  exultation  soon  prevailed,  and 
they  opened  the  jaws  of  the  great  trap  which  had 
shut  together  upon  one  of  the  legs  of  the  panther 
and  been  the  cause  of  his  ill-tortune. 

"There,  he'll  not  kill  any  more  of  our  lambs," 
said  Samuel. 

"  Up  in  St.  John's  they  say  they  always  hunt  in 
pairs,"  said  Arthur.  "  Maybe  this  fellow's  mate  is 
not  far  away." 

"  That's  so,  Sam,"  said  Jairus  quickly.  "  She  may 
be  eying  us  this  very  minute." 


32 


TIVO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


The  way  in  which  all  three  of  the  boys  picked  up 
their  guns  and  glanced  swiftly  about  them  was 
almost  laughable ;  but  no  signs  of  the  mate  could 
be  seen,  and  they  soon  regained  their  composure. 

"She'll  be  here,  though;  you  mark  my  words," 
continued  Arthur;  "and  you'd  better  get  ready  to 
meet  her." 

"Sam,  you  go  up  to  the  house  and  get  some 
of  those  big  bullets.  We  don't  want  these  slugs. 
They  worked  once,  but  the  next  panther  won't 
come  with  a  trap  fast  to  one  leg,"  said  Jairus. 

His  brother  quickly  started  for  the  house,  and 
Jairus  and  Arthur  began  to  prepare  a  hiding-place 
in  one  of  the  beech-trees,  which  stood  on  the  border 
of  the  clearing.  Jairus  climbed  the  tree  and  Arthur 
tossed  up  to  him  some  broken  branches  and  two  or 
three  boards,  which  were  all  that  could  be  found 
near  the  sheep-pen. 

Jairus  worked  steadily,  and  by  the  time  Samuel 
returned  with  the  bullets,  he  had  constructed  a 
platform  high  up  in  the  beech-tree  strong  enough 
to  bear  the  combined  weight  of  the  three  boys,  and 
which  would  provide  a  place  from  which  they  could 
watch  all  that  occurred  beneath  them,  without,  as 
they  thought,  being  seen  themselves. 

The  guns  and  ammunition  were  next  passed  up, 
and  then,  giving  one  hasty  glance  about  him,  Sani- 
uel  prepared  to  join  the  boys  in  the  tree  arid  wait 
for  the  coming  of  the  dead  panther's  mate. 


picked  up 
them  v»As 
ate  could 
posure. 
y  words," 
r  ready  to 

get  some 
ese  slugs, 
her  won't 
rus. 

lOUse,  and 
ding-place 
the  border 
nd  Arthur 
.nd  two  or 
be  found 

le  Samuel 
structed  a 
ng  enough 
:  boys,  and 
they  could 
without,  as 

passed  up, 
him,  Sarn- 
ie arid  wait 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE    MEETING    BY    THE    BEECH-TREE. 

The  boys  soon  took  their  positions  on  the  rude 
platform  they  had  constructed,  and  prepared  to 
await  the  possible  coming  of  the  new  enemy.  The 
excitement  of  their  recent  encounter  soon  passed, 
and  when  an  hour  had  gone  they  began  to  grow 
weary  of  the  task. 

The  platform  was  well  up  in  the  tree;  far  enough, 
as  they  thought,  to  protect  them  from  attacks  from 
below,  and  yet  they  could  see  for  some  distance  not 
merely  over  the  clearing,  but  out  into  the  forest  as 
well. 

The  June  sun  climbed  higher  in  the  heavens. 
The  songs  of  the  birds  had  lost  some  of  the  volume 
which  had  been  poured  forth  when  the  dew  still 
rested  on  the  grass.  There  was  the  promise  of  a 
warm  day,  and  both  Jairus  and  Samuel  began  to 
chafe  over  the  enforced  idleness;  for  there  were 
pressing  duties  to  be  done  even  in  that  wilder- 
ness home,  and  pleasant  June  mornings  were  not 
so  plentiful  as  to  warrant  any  neglect  on  the  part  of 
the  young  pioneers. 

D  33 


itmiinm 


34 


TIVO    YOUNG  PATKIOTS. 


\ 


t 

I 


Apparently  the  recent  quarrel  had  been  forgot  en 
or  ignored,  for  no  reference  was  made  to  it  after  the 
boys  had  taken  their  seats  on  the  platform  m  the 
tree  Arthur's  face  still  bore  traces  of  his  anger, 
but  neither  of  his  cousins  heeded  him,  at  least  so  far 

''The'grs'haTnow  been  loaded  with  the  larger 
bullets,  and   the   boys   had  been   keeping  carefu 
watch   on   all  sides  of  the  clearing     The   sheep 
were   still   bleating,  as   if   they   could   not   .under- 
stand  why   they   should  be   shut  in  the   pen  on 
such  a  morning  as  this,  when  tempting  grass  and 
fresh  green  leaves  were  to  be  found  on  every  side^ 
Neither  Jairus  nor  his  brother,  however,  had  heeded 
them,  and  indeed  had  been  glad  of  their  plaintive 
calls;  for  they  might  serve  as  a  means  of  drawing  any 
prowling  beast  within  hearing  and  perhaps  within 
the  range  of  the  muskets  of  the  waiting  boys. 

"What's  the  use  of  staying  cooped  up  here  any 
longer?"  said  Samuel  at  last,  impatiently  breaking 
in  upon  the  silence.  "No  panther's  coming  here 
to-day,  and  besides,  if  one  did  come,  u  isn  t  very  far 
from  the  ground  up  to  this  platform  The  cata- 
mount might  turn  hunter  and  we  be  the  hunted  if 
she  wanted  to  turn  things  about. 

"  That's  the  way  some  people  feel  about  every- 
thing," said  Arthur  with  a  sneer.  •  ^^ 
»  When  Tories  are  up  a  tree,  they  talk  very  bold, 
replied  Samuel  angrily.     "  I'm  no  more  afraid  than 
you  are.     I'll  wait  here  just  as  long  as  you  do. 


THE  MEETING  BY   THE  BEECJl-TREE. 


35 


n  forgotten 

it  after  the 

[orm  in  the 

his  anger, 

least  so  far 

li  the  larger 
»ing  careful 

The   sheep 

not  imder- 
the  pen  on 
g  grass  and 
1  every  side. 
,  had  heeded 
leir  plaintive 
drawing  any 
irhaps  within 
r  boys. 

up  here  any 
titly  breaking 
coming  here 

isn't  very  far 
,.  The  cata- 
the  hunted  if 

about  every- 

illc  very  bold," 
(re  afraid  than 
>  you  do." 


Silence  followed,  and  the  threatenings  of  a  re- 
newal of  the  quarrel  ceased  for  a  time.  Another 
hour  passed,  and  even  Jairus  was  beginning  to  feel 
that  the  watch  was  becoming  a  useless  one.  The 
sheep  had  become  more  quiet,  as  if  they  had  ceased 
to  expect  relief  and  freedom.  The  songs  of  the 
birds  were  almost  entirely  hushed  now,  and  the 
silence  of  the  great  forest  rested  oppressively  over 
all. 

"  I  think  we'll  have  to  give  it  up  for  this  day," 
said  Jairus  at  last.  "  We've  been  here  more  than 
two  hours  now  and  haven't  seen  a  sign  of  a  cata- 
mount. I  guess  if  the  mate  had  been  anywhere 
within  hearing  of  the  calls  of  this  fellow  when  he 
felt  that  trap  shut  together  on  his  leg,  she'd  have 
shown  up  before  this." 

"  I'm  with  you,"  said  Samuel,  attempting  to  rise 
as  he  spoke.  "  I  feel  as  if  my  legs  had  been  held  in 
a  trap,  too.     I  can  hardly  move  a  muscle." 

''  Hold  on.  Don't  go  yet,"  said  Arthur  in  a  low 
whisper.  "There's  something  over  there  in  the 
bushes,"  and  he  pointed  as  he  spoke  to  a  cluster 
on  the  further  side  of  the  clearing. 

His  words  were  hardly  spoken  when  the  bushes 
suddenly  parted,  and  with  a  light  bound  a  panther 
leaped  into  the  open  place.  Breathlessly  the  boys 
watched  her,  and  so  intent  were  they  upon  her 
movements  that  not  a  whisper  passed  between 
them. 

For  a  brief  time  the  great  beast  stood  silent,  glar- 


[WW»W*WlWi*»lJ«!iWir 


36 


7'fVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


\    I 


ing  sharply  all  about  her;  but  in  a  moment  her 
glance  fell  upon  her  dead  mate,  whose  body  the 
boys  had  left  exposed  and  lying  on  the  ground,  not 
far  from  the  tree  in  which  they  had  constructed 
their  platform. 

Two  quick  bounds  brought  her  to  the  body,  and 
she  began  to  sniff  as  she  walked  slowly  about  it.  If 
other  feelings  had  been  in  the  boys'  hearts,  perhaps 
they  would  have  been  moved  by  the  sight  of  her 
grief  which  followed. 

Uttering  a  low  whine  or  moan,  she  began  to  lick 
the  wounds  of  her  mate,  caressing  his  body  as  if  she 
would  try  by  some  means  to  call  him  back  to  life 
again.  For  several  minutes  her  labors  continued, 
the  boys  meanwhile  watching  her  with  breathless 
interest,  jither  being  too  interested  or  too  excited 
to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  for  a  shot 
which  was  presented. 

Suddenly,  however,  a  change  came.  Apparently 
satisfied  that  her  companion  was  dead,  the  panther's 
feelings  and  actions  quickly  changed.  An  impulse 
of  intense  rage  seemed  to  seize  her.  Standing  with 
her  fore  feet  on  the  body,  and  crouching  low,  she 
sent  forth  a  scream  of  fury  that  almost  made  Sam- 
uel let  go  his  hold  upon  his  gun.  She  lashed  her 
sides  with  her  tail,  her  eyes  meanwhile  glowing 
like  burning  coals,  and  the  lips  were  drawn  back 
from  her  jaws,  disclosing  the  terrible  fangs  which 
doubtless  had  wrought  destruction  on  many  a  help- 
less victim.     Her  ears  were  fiat  against  her  head. 


}ttlmmt^*mmim**^»Mttti^m 


THE  MEETING  BY  THE  BEECH-TREE. 


37 


>ment  her 

body  the 

round,  not 

onstructed 

body,  and 
•out  it.  If 
ts,  perhaps 
ght  of  her 

^an  to  lick 
ly  as  if  she 
ack  to  life 
continued, 
breathless 
too  excited 
for  a  shot 

Apparently 
e  panther's 
Vn  impulse 
mding  with 
ig  low,  she 
made  Sam- 
lashed  her 
ile  glowing 
Irawh  back 
angs  which 
lany  a  help- 
t  her  head, 


and  growls  and  snarls,  and  whining  cries,  and  what 
seemed  to  be  shrieks  of  rage  were  all  mingled. 
None  of  the  boys  had  ever  before  looked  upon  a 
picture  of  such  uncontrolled  fury  as  the  iianther, 
robbed  of  her  mate,  presented. 

Not  a  sound  had  come  from  the  sheep-pen ;  but 
suddenly  the  furious  beast  leaped  from  her  position, 
and  darted  towards  the  enclosure.  She  could  peer 
in  between  the  logs,  and  what  she  saw  seemed  to 
add  to  her  rage.  Around  and  around  the  pen  she 
ran,  nOw  stopping  to  claw  furiously  into  the  logs,  as 
if  she  would  tear  them  apart,  and  now  digging  with 
her  claws  at  the  soil  upon  which  they  rested. 

The  frightened  sheep  uttered  no  sound ;  but  the 
boys  could  see  that  they  were  huddled  together, 
and  were  darting  swiftly  from  one  side  of  the  pen 
to  the  other,  striving  to  keep  as  far  away  from  the 
savage  beast  as  possible. 

"  Jairus,  shan't  we  shoot }  What  are  you  waiting 
for } "  tremblingly  whispered  Samuel. 

"  Hush,  Sam,"  whispered  Jairus  in  reply.  "  We 
might  hit  one  of  the  sheep  or  lambs,  and  as  we've 
only  seven  left,  we  don't  want  to  do  that.  She'll 
come  out  into  the  clearing  again,  and  when  she 
does  we'll  give  it  to  her.  Keep  your  guns  ready, 
and  when  I  whisper  the  word,  let  her  have  it  all 
together." 

Arthur  had  said  nothing ;  but  after  the  first  ex- 
citement  over  the  approach  of  the  panther  had 
passed,  there  had  been  a  sneer  on  his  face  when  he 


liiwwU.- 


■-•iiiiMMMMJHlHMMMMi 


Ik   /*=* 


38 


TWO  Youxc  rArnroTS. 


i  :;i 


glanced  at  the  boys,  which  Jairus  clearly  understood 
as  implying  that  they  were  afraid  to  shoot.  But 
the  boy  understood  himself,  and  was  waiting  for  the 

proper  time  to  come.  ,    . ,  „       •  1 

"I'm   going   to  shoot   if    you   are   afraid,     said 

Arthur.    "I'm  not  afraid  of  hitting  the  sheep.     1 

think  it's  the  catamount  that  scares  you,  not  the 

little  lambs."  . 

"  Arthur  Goodwin,  if  you  shoot  before  I  give  the 
word,  I'll  shove  you  off  from  the  platform." 

Jairus  was  angry  as  well  as  excited  now,  and  for 
a  moment  the  two  boys  glared  at  each  other,  as  if 
both  had  forgotten  the  presence  of  their  common 

enemy.  ,        , 

As  they  glanced  again  at  the  panther,  they  saw 
that  a  sudden  change  had  come  over  her.  Had  she 
overheard  them  speaking  ?  Her  head  was  lifted  and 
she  was  sniffing  at  the  air. 

Suddenly,  and  without  a  moment's  warning,  she 
uttered  a  low  whine,  and  before  the  boys  realized 
what  she  was  doing,  she  gave  two  great  bounds  and 
disappeared  in  the  forest. 

"Well,  you've  done  it  now!"  said  Jairus  angnly. 
"  She  heard  your  voice  and  has  got  away.  Fine  trick 
that'  and  now  she'll  be  prowling  around  here,  and 
in  a  week  we  won't  have  a  sheep  or  critter  left  on 

the  place."  ,  .. 

"  It's  your  own  fault,"  muttered  Arthur.  If  you 
hadn't  been  so  afraid,  I  could  have  hit  her  alone. 
You've  no  one  to  blame  but  yourself.     But  then 


I 


■MiiaMaMllMa 


TUF.    MEF.TIXi:   liY    Till:  liEl-All-TNEF.. 


30 


understood 
hoot.  But 
ting  ior  the 

fraid,"  said 
i  sheep.  1 
3U,  not  the 

e  I  give  the 
n." 

low,  and  for 

other,  as  if 

sir  common 

er,  they  saw 
r.  Had  she 
'as  lifted  and 

warning,  she 
>oys  realized 
:  bounds  and 

lirus  angrily. 
J.  Fine  trick 
nd  here,  and 
:ritter  left  on 

lur.  "  If  you 
lit  her  alone. 
If.     But  then 


that's  .1  trick  some  folks  have;  they  take  what  doesn't 
belong  to  them,  and  what's  their  own  they're  mighty 
glad  to  shove  off  on  some  one  eise.  I'm  going  to  get 
out  of  this  and  start  for  St.  John's  riijht  away.  I've 
had  all  I  want  of  two  such  fellows  as  you." 

The  brothers  were  almost  too  angry  to  reply,  and 
entered  no  protest.  Picking  up  their  guns  again, 
they  prepared  to  go  down  the  tree,  and  Arthur,  who 
was  in  advance,  had  already  stepped  off  from  the 
platform  and  grasped  one  of  the  limbs  with  his 
hand,  when  a  startled  exclamation  from  Samuel  re- 
called him. 

"  Look  there,  boys !  That's  what  scared  off  the 
catamount ! " 

A  hasty  glance  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the 
frightened  lad  caused  both  the  others  to  share  in 
his  feelings;  for  out  from  the  forest  three  or  four 
Indians  could  be  seen  stealthily  approaching.  They 
were  armed  with  guns,  and  on  their  shoulders  were 
slung  also  some  bows  and  quivers  filled  with  arrows. 

As  they  entered  the  clearing,  the  sight  of  the  dead 
panther  attracted  their  attention.  Assembling  about 
it,  they  carefully  examined  it,  and  then  standing  up 
again,  glanced  about  them  in  every  direction. 

The  frightened  boys  drew  back  against  the  tree, 
fearful  that  their  own  presence  might  be  detected ; 
and  if  the  presence  of  the  catamount  had  frightened 
them,  the  sight  now  before  them  was  far  worse. 

The  Indians  were  painted  hideously,  and  it  was 
evident  that  they  were  on  the  war-path.      Would 


11 


k 


40 


rii'o  youxc  r.iTKiors. 


they  discover  the  liiding-i)lace  of  the  boys?  The 
lads  glanced  at  one  another,  and  the  peril  of  their 
situation,  they  could  all  three  see,  was  fully  appre- 
ciated. 

Suddenly  Jairus  felt  his  brother  lightly  touch  his 
arm  and  point  once  more  towards  the  forest.  It 
appeared  to  be  almost  alive  with  Indians.  From 
behind  every  tree  and  bush  they  seemed  to  come, 
and  at  a  low  call  from  one  of  the  warriors  standing 
beneath  the  tree,  the  newcomers  joined  those  who 
were  in  the  enclosure. 

Still  they  came.  Silently  they  joined  their  com- 
panions, and  not  a  word  was  spoken,  though  many 
curious  glances  were  cast  at  the  dead  body  of  the 
panther.'  Two  hundred,  three  hundred,  four  hun- 
dred, must  be  there  now,  thought  Jairus,  his  heart 
beating  rapidly  with  a  great  fear  not  only  for  him- 
self and  his  companions,  but  also  for  his  mother, 
who  perhaps  might  come  from  the  house  at  any 
time  now  to  discover  the  cause  of  the  prolonged 
absence  of  the  boys. 

And  all  of  the  Indians  were  as  hideously  painted 
as  were  those  who  had  first  appeared.  Jairus  re- 
called the  rumors  which  had  reached  the  lonely 
home  of  the  plans  of  Burgoyne  and  the  Indians, 
and  for  the  first  time  he  realized  that  there  was 
some  truth  in  them;  for  he  had  at  once  associated 
their  presence  with  the  threatenings  of  the  British. 
But  he  was  too  much  fascinated  by  the  sight  be- 
neath him  to  think  of  anything  else  at  the  time. 


7//A   MKHTINC,    HV    THE   HhliCII-TKEE. 


4i 


oys  ?  The 
iril  of  their 
[ully  appre- 

y  touch  his 
forest.  It 
ins.  From 
;d  to  come, 
•rs  standing 
those  who 

their  com- 
ough  many 
body  of  the 
1,  four  hun- 
is,  his  heart 
nly  for  him- 
his  mother, 
ouse  at  any 
e  prolonged 

usly  painted 
J  air  us  re- 
l  the  lonely 
the  Indians, 
it  there  was 
ce  associated 
■  the  British, 
the  sight  be- 
at the  time. 


He  had  been  watching  the  coming  of  the  warriors 
from  the  forest,  and  had  not  taken  his  eyes  from  the 
place,  save  occasionally  as  ho  glanced  at  the  crowd 
below. 

He  noticed  also  a  priest  and  two  or  three  white 
men  clad  in  the  uniform  of  the  British,  and  as  they 
joined  their  companions  he  judged  that  it  had  been 
for  their  arrival  the  others  had  been  waiting. 

As  they  approached,  one  of  the  Indians,  who  he 
concluded  must  be  a  chief,  advanced  and  a  hurried 
consultation  followed  between  him  and  one  of  the 
white  men.  Jairus  could  not  hear  any  of  the 
words,  but  from  the  gestures  of  the  chief  as  he 
pointed  towards  the  sheep-pen,  he  concluded  that 
he  was  suggesting  that  the  sheep  should  be  taken. 

Hardly  realizing  that  the  loss  was  his,  he  watched 
the  men  as  some  of  them  hurriedly  obeyed  the 
word  of  one  of  the  officers,  and  in  a  few  moments 
every  sheep  had  been  slaughtered  and  arrange- 
ments made  to  carry  the  bodies  with  them  on  their 
march. 

The  great  fear  in  Jairus's  heart  now  was  that 
the  hiding-place  might  be  discovered  or  that  some 
would  go  up  to  the  house  where  his  mother  was. 
He  shuddered  as  he  thought  of  what  might  then 
occur. 

Meanwhile  the  other  beys  were  clinging  close  to 
the  tree,  though  all  three  \/ere  so  fascinated  by  the 
sight  below  them  that  they  could  not  turn  away 
from  it.     No  noise  had  been  made  by  any  of  the 


0 


Tiro   YOVXn   PATKrOTS. 


I  . 


: 


■i! 


Indians.  They  had  ni<nf(l  as  silently  as  the  leaves 
of  the  trees  bow  before  the  wind,  but  their  hideous 
appearance  and  the  presence  of  the  British  officers 
showed  only  too  clearly  the  object  on  which  they 

were  bent.  .       , 

Another  brief  consultation  between  the  chief  and 
the  officers  followed,  after  the  slaughter  of  the 
sheep,  the  men  standing  during  the  conversation 
directly  beneath  the  beech-tree  in  which  the  boys 
were  concealed.  The  conference  did  not  last  'ong, 
however,  and  it  was  with  a  great  sigh  of  relief  that 
Jairus  saw  the  scouts  start  off  into  the  forest  again 
and  the  warriors  prepare  to  follow. 

More  than  half  the  assembly  had  gone  when 
Jairus  turned  to  look  at  his  companions.  Fhe  end 
would  soon  be  here  now.  and  they  would  be  free 
again;  but  as  he  turned,  his  foot  P"f ^jl^^^g^'"^ 
one  of  the  branches  which  composed  the  ittle  plat- 
form on  which  they  were  standing,  and,  falling  from 
its  place,  it  struck  the  ground  at  the  feet  of  the  offi- 
cer who  was  standing  near. 

In  surprise,  both  he  and  the  chief  glanced  up- 
ward, and  with  a  great  sinking  of  the  heart  Jairus 
realized  that  their  hiding-place  had  been  discovered. 
"Here,  you!     Come  down  out  of  that  tree! 

called  the  officer. 

"  Don't  you  go,  Sam.  Climb  higher  up.  and  keep 
still  Maybe  they  won't  suspect  you,  whispered 
Jairus  as  he  and  Arthur  hastily  obeyed  the  sum- 
mons and  quickly  descended  to  the  ground. 


•.e«>M»eMW«mM<kH<M«Mnm(aMrtlM 


i  the  leaves 
eir  hideous 
[ish  officers 
which  they 

\c  chief  and 
iter  of  the 
:onversation 
ch  tlu'  boys 
ot  last  long, 
,f  relief  that 
forest  again 

gone  when 
s.  The  end 
ould  be  free 
shed  against 
he  little  plat- 
,  falling  from 
et  of  the  offi- 

glanced  up- 
heart  Jairus 

en  discovered. 

[  that  tree!" 

r  up.  and  keep 
u,"  whispered 
;yed  the  sum- 
round. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


THE   CONFERENCE. 


"  I  HEAR  that  lots  of  the  Tories  have  joined  Bur- 
goyne  on  his  march,  but  I  never  expected  to  see  it 
rain  Tories.  Where  did  you  come  from,  and  what 
were  you  doing  up  in  that  tree?"  said  the  aston- 
ished officer,  as  he  looked  at  the  boys  who  had 
appeared  so  unexpectedly  that  he  had  at  first 
stepped  back  to  be  out  of  their  way. 

"  We  were  hiding  there,  waiting  for  that  panther's 
mate  to  come,"  replied  Jairus,  pointing  to  the  dead 
body,  which  had  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
leaders  and  caused  the  advancing  warriors  to  halt. 
"She  came  here  just  a  few  minutes  ago  and  we 
were  just  going  to  shoot,  when  the  Indians  came 
up." 

Jairus  spoke  calmly,  but  his  heart  was  beating 
violently,  and  he  was  oppressed  by  a  great  fear. 
Samuel  was  still  in  the  tree  and  his  mother  not  far 
away,  and  the  possibilities  of  harm  to  them  as  well 
as  to  himself  were  neither  few  nor  small. 

"We're  glad  you've  come,"  said  Arthur,  "and 
we'll  go  with   you.      My  father's   John   Goodwin, 

43 


II 


^Wf 


rn'o  yorxa  /•i/a/o/s. 


.,,,.1  Ik-  lives  up  at  St.  |«.lui %.  C«.tnr  on  down  .Hit  <.f 
that  lice.  Sam!"  he  added.  Itx.kin^  ii|)Nvard  f«)r  a 
momciU,  and  then  glancinj;  wickedly  at  Jairiis. 

'•  What!  Are  there  more  of  you?"  said  the  offi- 
cer hastily.  "Then  come  down  out  of  that,"  he 
added,  looking  upward  as  he  spoke. 

I'or  a  moment  there  was  a  silence  in  the  tree,  and 
then  the  branches  parted  and  Samuel,  looking  very 
crestfallen,  slid  down  the  trunk  and  joined  them. 

"Why  didn't  you  come  with  the  others?"  said 
the  officer  sternly. 

"  1  didn't  know  just  who  you  were,"  stammered 
Samuel.  "  I  came  just  as  soon  as  you  called  me." 
He  glanced  at  his  brother  as  he  spoke,  and  he 
knew  at  once  by  the  expression  on  his  face  that  he 
was  greatly  alarmed,  and  he  resolved  for  his  own 
part  to  use  the  fewest  possible  words. 

"  It's  all  right  as  long  as  you  came,"  replied  the 
officer.  "  Now  tell  me  truly  whether  there  is  any- 
body else  hiding  in  any  of  the  trees  around  here." 
"Not  another  soul,"  replied  Arthur  quickly. 
"  We're  the  only  ones  here,  and  I've  told  you  just 
exactly  the  truth.  My  father's  John  Goodwin,  and 
he  lives  up  at  St.  John's." 

»  Yes,  I've  heard  of  him,"  said  the  officer  dryly, 
and  for  a  moment  hope  returned  to  the  heart  of 
Jairus  as  he  thought  he  recognized  a  look  of  dis- 
gust on  his  face  as  he  spoke.  "  Then  you  are  his 
boy,  are  you  ? "  said  the  officer.  "  And  these  may 
be  your  brothers?" 


/■■ 


L 


•% 


lown  out  of 
(ward  for  .i 
J  aims. 
,aid  the  otfi- 
)i  that,"  he- 


he  tree,  and 
ooking  very 
ed  them, 
hers  ? "  said 

'  stammered 

called  me." 

)oke,  and  he 

face  that  he 

for  his  own 

"  replied  the 
there  is  any- 
round  here." 
hur  quickly, 
told  you  just 
Soodwin,  and 

officer  dryly, 
the  heart  of 
I  look  of  dis- 
»  you  are  his 
id  these  may 


/•//A   COXi-IiKKMl-:. 


4S 


/^ 


"  Not  brothers,  but  cousins,"  replied  Arthur. 
"  Their  name  is  Cioodwin  too.  They  aren't  quite 
as  strong  Tories  as  I  am,  but  I  guess  they'll  go 
along  with  you,  if  you  want  them."  He  turned 
to  Jairus  as  he  spoke,  and  smiled  malignantly. 

For  a  moment  it  was  in  Jairus's  mind  to  declare 
just  who  he  was,  but  the  recollection  of  the  great 
body  of  Indians  which  still  was  near,  the  excite- 
ment through  which  they  had  just  passed,  and 
above  all  the  fear  of  what  might  follow  the  decla- 
rations of  their  true  position  kept  him  silent,  and 
an  apjK'aling  glance  from  his  younger  brother 
strengthened  his  determination  not  to  speak. 

In  a  moment  he  realized  that  if  he  should  wish 
to,  it  was  too  late,  as  he  heard  the  officer  say: 
"  They'll  be  stronger  Tories  before  we're  done  with 
'em,  I  dare  say.  Now  we  can't  stay  here  and  waste 
any  more  time.  We'll  have  to  hasten  as  it  is,  or 
the  meeting  will  have  taken  place  and  the  general 
will  have  taken  Ty  and  the  whole  region.  Come  — 
we'll  start,"  and  he  motioned  to  the  boys  to  advance. 

"  What !  Have  we  got  to  go  with  you  too  ? " 
said  Jpirus,  aghast. 

"  That  s  what  I  said.  Come,  don't  stop  to  par- 
ley here.     We're  late  now." 

"  But  we  can't  leave  our  mother  this  way," 
pleadeti  Samuel.  "  If  we  have  to  go,  let  us  go 
first  and  tell  her.  She  won't  know  what's  become 
of  us  if  we  don't.  We  can  catch  up  with  you  in 
a  little  while." 


46 


TIVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


%  m 


"  She'll  have  to  find  out  as  best  she  can  what's 
become  of  her  boys,"  replied  the  officer.  "She 
isn't  the  only  one  who's  had  to  do  it.     Come  on ! 

"  But  can't  some  one  go  up  to  the  house  with 
us.?  It  won't  take  but  a  few  minutes,  and  we'll 
come  straight  back.     Only  just  to  tell  her  —  " 

"March  on,  there!"  said  the  officer  sharply. 
"  We'll  have  no  more  of  this  nonsense.  I  shall  be- 
gin to  think  pretty  soon  you  don't  care  much  about 
foining  us,  if  you  don't  keep  still." 

Jairus  gave  his  brother  a  quick  glance,  and  both 
boys  turned  and  without  a  further  word  of  protest 
started  with  the  little  company  and  soon  were  well 
on  their  way  in  the  forest.     But  there  was  a  strange 
conflict  going  on  in  the  mind  of  Jairus.    There 
were   moments  when  he  was   tempted  to  declare 
boldly  just  where  he  and  his  brother  stood.    Their 
isolated  position,  and  the  fact  that  news  from  the 
world  outside  seldom  came  to  their  lonely  home, 
had  kept  tliem  largely  ignorant  of  the  movements 
of   the   times.     Occasionally   rumors  came,  when 
some   hunter    reported   what    he    had  heard   was 
going  on  at  Albany  or  Montreal,  or  the  infrequent 
visitors  from  across  the  lake   had  brought  some 
little  information.     That  the  summer  promised  to 
be  a  stirring  one   they  had  somehow  felt   rather 
than  known,  but  of  the  preparations  already  made, 
they  knew  almost  nothing. 

Perhaps  it  was  just  as  well,  thought  Jairus,  as 
they  marched  on  in  silence,  that  their  captor,  for  he 


i.m>iwiiM  Mii'M  ri|itti!%liiHiiw«MM||^M| 


THE   CONFERENCE. 


47 


can  what's 
:er.  "  She 
Zome  on ! " 
house  with 
,  and  we'll 
her  —  " 
er  sharply. 
I  shall  be- 
much  about 

e,  and  both 
i  of  protest 
•n  were  well 
as  a  strange 
rus.    There 
I  to  declare 
ood.    Their 
ws  from  the 
onely  home, 
movements 
came,  when 
[  heard   was 
le  infrequent 
rought  some 
promised  to 
1  felt   rather 
J  ready  made, 

ht  Jairus,  as 
captor,  for  he 


could  regard  him  in  no  other  light,  should  have  the 
impression  that  they  were  Tories,  although  only  half- 
hearted ones.  With  that  understanding,  it  might 
be  possible  that  some  means  of  escape  could  soon 
be  found,  and  the  brave-hearted  lad  had  not  gone 
far  before  a  strong  det^«  nination  had  manifested 
Itself  on  his  countenan  ,  and  in  such  a  manner 
that  his  brother  knew  at  once  a  change  of  some 
kind  had  come. 

Still  not  a  word  was  spoken.  The  three  Indians 
and  the  white  men  who  had  remained  with  Captain 
Black,  for  that  was  the  leader's  name,  they  soon 
learned,  were  in  advance,  and  the  officer  brought  up 
the  rear.  They  had  no  difficulty  in  making  their 
way  or  discovering  the  path  which  those  who  had 
gone  before  them  had  used. 

Occasionally  Jairus  or  Samuel  turned  and  glanced 
at  their  cousin,  but  the  calm,  cruel,  satisfied  smile 
on  his  face  angered  them  more  than  any  words  of 
his  could  have  done.  How  he  appeared  to  enjoy 
their  predicament!  He  knew  it  was  too  late  for 
them  to  explain  their  true  position,  and  on  the 
other  hand  he  had  already  committed  them  to  the 
British.  And  they  had  not  denied  it  when  he  had 
spoken. 

Jairus  almost  ground  his  teeth  in  his  rage  as  he  felt 
his  helplessness.    All  Lis  feelings  toward  the  British 
invaders  had  been  intensified  within  the  past  hour 
as  they  had  not  been  in  all  his  previous  life      He 
would   not  fight.     He  would  get   away  somehow. 


ft     iT*^ 

if 


Mil 


48 


TiyO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


He  would  sec  that  his  treacherous  cousin  reaped  a 
suitable  reward  for  his  cruelty.  How  could  he  have 
been  so  unmindful  of  their  mother  after  all  she  had 
done  for  him  in  the  stay  of  a  month  he  had  made 
in  her  home !  What  a  return  for  her  hospitality ! 
His  father  had  taken  advantage  of  their  weakness 
in  their  time  of  grief,  but  the  son   had  done  far 

more. 

What  was  the  loss  of  their  home  across  the  lake 
compared  with  this  sorrow  which  Arthur  Goodwin 
had  brought  upon  their  mother!  Already  Jairus 
could  picture  her  in  his  mind  as  the  evening  drew 
near  and  the  boys  did  not  return.  The  darkness 
would  soon  deepen,  and  still  they  would  not  come, 
and  he  almost  eroaned  aloud  as  he  thought  of  her 
searching  for  V  rn  in  the  night.  And  she  had 
known  they  h  t-  t  ied  forth  in  search  of  the  dead 
panther's  mate,  r'erhaps  the  mate  would  again 
return,  and  his  mother  — 

Again  he  thought  of  the  prowling  Indians.  Cap- 
tain Black  had  not  told  him  whether  others  were  to 
follow  them  or  not,  but  he  was  well  assured  in  his 
own  mind  that  they  would,  and  if  those  who  were  in 
advance  of  them  had  discovered  the  sheep-pen,  it 
would  be  only  natural  to  fancy  that  those  who  might 
be  following  would  discover  their  home. 

Almost  frantic,  Jairus  turned  and  glanced  again 
at  Arthur;  but  the  self-satisfied  expression  was  still 
on  his  cousin's  face,  and  in  sheer  desperation  he 
turned  away  for  fear  he  would  say  or  do  something 


.ai..ii.,i.,'.i.  aiiiiiiai 


■ita 


(.. 


iin  reaped  a 
uld  he  have 
all  she  had 
;  had  made 
hospitality ! 
:ir  weakness 
id  done  far 

OSS  the  lake 
lur  Goodwin 
ready  Jairus 
vening  drew 
he  darkness 
Id  not  come, 
)ught  of  her 
nd  she  had 
of  the  dead 
would   again 

tdians.  Cap- 
:hers  were  to 
sured  in  his 
who  were  in 
sheep-pen,  it 
se  who  might 

lanced  again 
sion  was  still 
isperation  he 
io  something 


"<!!»! 


ITB":, 


THE  CONFERENCE. 


49 


which  would  increase  the  danger  in  which  they 
found  themselves.  No,  he  must  be  careful  now  if 
ever  he  was  to  be,  and  every  hope  of  his  escaping 
or  returnmg  to  his  mother  depended  upon  his  self- 
control. 

So,  silently,  the  little  party  trudged  on  in  that 
beautiful  day  in  early  June,  i  '^'J^,  and  when  less  than 
two  hours  had  elapsed  the  captain  suddenly  halted 
and  said :  "  Here's  the  Bouquet,  and  we  can't  be  far 
from  the  place  where  we  were  to  meet.  Ah,  there 
It  IS  now!"  and  he  pointed  eagerly  ahead  as  he 
spoke. 

In  the  distance  Jairus  could  see  that  a  great 
crowd  had  assembled,  and  as  they  drew  nearer  he 
saw  that  the  Indians  had  arranged  themselves  in  a 
semicircle,  and  that  one  of  the  British  officers  was 
advancing  within  it  with  outstretched  hands  and 
arms  Behind  him  lay  a  great  assembly  of  redcoats, 
and  the  boys  could  see  that  among  them  were  many 
stragglers  and  Indians. 

"That's  General  Burgoyne  himself," said  Captain 
Black  excitedly  to  his  white  companion.  "He's 
talking  to  them.     Let  us  stop  here  and  listen." 

For  a  moment  Jairus  forgot  his  own  grief  and 
anxiety  m  his  interest  in  the  scene  before  him 
The  summer  day,  the  sloping  hillside,  the  strange 
assembly,  and  the  presence  of  the  great  general  of 
whom  he  had  heard  so  much,  all  combined  to  fasten 
his  attention  on  the  present  scene. 

General  Burgoyne  advanced,  and,  when  he  was 

•B 


so 


7W6>    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


farther  within  the  circle,  began  to  speak.  Jairus 
thought  his  face  not  an  unpleasant  one,  though  his 
manner  was  very  condescending  and  pompous ;  but 
he  soon  forgot  all  this  as  he  listened  to  his  speech 
and  watched  the  Indians  as  they  followed  the  words 

of  the  speaker. 

He  told  them  of  the  clemency  of  the  king,  which 
the  colonies  had  sadly  abused,  as  he  declared.     He 
assured  the  dusky  warriors  that  they  were  known 
to  be  brave  and  desperate  foes,  and  that  all  of  his 
followers   would   strive   to    imitate  their  example. 
"  Go  forth,"  said  he, "  in  the  might  of  your  valor  and 
your  cause!     Strike   at   the  common   enemies  of 
Great  Britain  and  of  America;  disturbers  of  public 
order,  peace,  and  happiness;  destroyers  of  commerce; 
parricides  of  the  state.     However,  I  positively  for- 
bid bloodshed  when  you  are  not  opposed  in  arm. 
Aged  men,  wom.en,  and  children  and  prisoners  must 
be  held  sacred  from  the  knife  and  hatchet,  even  in 
the  time  of  actual  conflict.     You  shall  receive  com- 
pensation for  the  prisoners  you  take,  but  you  shall 
be  called  to  account  for  scalps.     In  conformity  and 
indulgence  of  your  customs,  which  have  affixed  an 
idea  of  honor  to  such  badges  of  victory,  you  shall 
be  allowed  to  take  the  scalps  of  the  dead   when 
killed  by  your  fire  and  in  fair  opposition ;  but  on  no 
account  or  pretence,  or  subtilty,  or  prevarication  are 
they  to  be  taken  from  the  wounded  or  even  from 
the  dying;  and  still  less  pardonable,  if  possible,  will 
it  be  held  to  kill  men  in  that  condition  on  purpose, 


THE   COXFERENCE. 


51 


ak.  Jairus 
though  his 
npous;  but 
his  speech 
1  the  words 

king,  which 
:lared.     He 
/ere  known 
it  all  of  his 
ir  example. 
Lir  valor  and 
enemies  of 
rs  of  public 
f  commerce; 
jsitively  for- 
sed  in  arm^ 
isoners  must 
:het,  even  in 
receive  corn- 
tut  you  shall 
iformity  and 
re  affixed  an 
ry,  you  shall 
dead   when 
n ;  but  on  no 
rarication  are 
or  even  from 
possible,  will 
1  on  purpose, 


and  upon  a  supposition  that  this  protection  to  the 
wounded  would  be  thereby  evaded." 

The  warriors  listened  attentively  to  the  words  of 
General  Burgoyne,  and  appeared  to  understand. 
Jairus  did  not  know  that  Burgoyne  himself  had 
been  bitterly  opposed  to  employing  the  Indians  in 
any  way ;  but  that  his  advice  and  scruples  had  been 
overruled  by  the  English  ministers,  and  that  he  was 
only  obeying  their  orders  in  permitting  them  to  be 
enrolled  in  his  army. 

Jairus's  attention  was  drawn,  however,  to  an  aged 
Iroquois  chief,  who  advanced  slowly  and,  in  reply  to 
Burgoyne's  speech,  said :  "  I  stand  up  in  the  name 
of  all  the  nations  present  to  assure  our  father  that 
we  have  attentively  listened  to  his  discourse.    We 
receive  you  as  our  father,  because  when  you  speak 
we  hear  the  voice  of  our  great  father  beyond  the 
great   lake.     We   rejoice   in   the  approbation  you 
have  expressed   of  our  behavior.     We  have  been 
tried  and  tempted  by  the  Bostonians  (the  truth  was 
that  only  General  Gage  and  his  emissaries  had  tried 
to  tempt  them),  but  we  loved  our  father,  and  our 
hatchets  have  been  sharpened  upon  our  affections. 
In  proof   of  the  sincerity  of  our  professions,  our 
whole  villages,  able  to  go  to  war,  are  come  forth. 
The  old  and  infirm,  our  infants  and  wives,  alone 
remain  at  home.     With  one  common  consent  we 
promise  a  constant  obedience  to  all  you  have  ordered 
and  to  all  you  shall  order;  and  may  the  Father  of 
Days  give  you  many  victories  and  great  success." 


-^MMI«lliH|iillMMJi« 


riyO    YOUNG  I'ATKIOTS. 

Fho   chief   ceased,  and   the   pleased   expression 

over,  and  then  report  what  you  ve  heard  the  gen 
"V^:t  bop  made  any  rep..    Not  o  -X 

aid  they  not  beHeve  ^-^  J-;,^''',^^^  tt 
but  they  could  not  trust  thems^  t 

thpir  traitorous  cousin.     All  tneir  nupc 

.nd  as  they  watched  the  Indians  flounshing  the  r 
and  as  they  wa  ^^^  ^^^  ,^^g,. 

tomahawks  and  knives,  goi  ^  b  ^^^_ 

nary  processes  of  kilUng  and.  scalping 
n^iel 'brandishing  the  troph.es^^;f  .^^^^^^^^^^ 
keeping  in  constant  -«^»«"  J^^^f  ^^^^^ 
curdling  whoops,  they  saw  that  the  .»^""^"  ^ 
Sed"benignan..y  on  aH  "nsusp.cous    hat^these 

^rr^oroV-co-rnl^beLdgWenin 

"wr}"--u^"o":™;h:hL^rrd 

Black  to  them  at  last.       You    o  ^^^^  ^^ 

?:l\r:»i:'raH«LUiv.L,he,ooued 

^'"t;r.h:  Wstntfs  the  veo.  thing  we 
want  to  do,"  said  Arthur  eageriy. 


THE   COXl-ERRXCE. 


53 


1  expression 
r  to  the  boys: 
ts!  Nothing 
I  hope  you'll 
till  the  war  s 
:ard  the  gen- 

ly.     Not  only 
Id  be  trusted, 
i  to  speak  to 
lope  of  safety 
etion  now. 
)e   conference, 
)urishing  their 
igh  the  imagi- 
)ing  their  ene- 
t,  all  the  time 
ring  the  blood- 
British  general 
ious  that  these 
by    their    fair 
e  had  given  in 

^,"  said  Captain 
th  this  man  and 
it  you'll  not  ob- 
"  and  he  looked 


"  Very  well  then.  David  Jones  will  fix  you 
out." 

The  army  was  already  in  motion,  and  with  trem- 
bling hearts  Jairus  and  Samuel  followed  their 
cousin  and  the  soldier,  as  they  turned  from  the 
place  where  they  had  been  standing. 


very  thing  we 


CHAPTER  V. 

JAIRUS    ACTS. 

Our  boys  soon  found  that  the  march  was  not  to 
be  a  long  one,  and  the  detachment  soon  joined  the 
main  body  of  Burgoyne's  army,  which  had  halted 
near  by  for  the  purpose  of  awaiting  the  coming  of 
the  Indian  bands.  Four  hundred  of  the  red  men 
were  already  among  the  followers  of  the  British 
general,  and  the  addition  of  those  who  had  been 
led  by  Captain  Black  increased  the  number  to 
almost  a  thousand. 

It  was  an  impressive  sight  upon  which  our  boys 
looked  when  .they  arrived  at  the  place  where  the 
main  army  lay.  The  Indians  in  their  war-paint 
and  feathers,  the  glittering  uniforms  of  the  officers, 
the  presence  of  Tories  and  irregulars  who  had 
come  to  the  camp  in  large  numbers,  all  combined 
to  make  the  newcomers  sadly  disheartened. 

lairus  and  Samuel  looked  at  each  other  sadly  as 
the  vast  army  spread  out  before  them,  and  they  saw 
its  hope  and  spirit,  the  confidence  of  the  leaders, 
and  the  superb  equipment  of  all  the  forces. 

For  the  night  they  were  assigned  to  the  tent 

54 


JATRUS  ACTS. 


5S 


h  was  not  to 
m  joined  the 
^  had  halted 
lie  coming  of 
the  red  men 
[  the  British 
ho  had  been 
;   number    to 

lich  our  boys 
.ce  where  the 
leir  war-paint 
of  the  officers, 
ars,  who  had 
,  all  combined 
tened. 

other  sadly  as 
I,  and  they  saw 
of  the  leaders, 
[orces. 
;d  to  the  tent 


which  David  Jones  ()C(Ui|)ied.  What  had  biconu" 
of  Arthur,  they  did  not  know.  He  had  dejurted 
soon  after  their  arrival,  and  had  not  returned. 
Their  thoughts,  however,  were  mostly  of  their 
mother,  and  as  they  pictured  her  grief  at  tlicir 
failure  to  return,  they  became  more  and  more 
depressed. 

"  What's  the  trouble,  boys  ?  "  said  David  heartily 
as  he  entered  the  tent.  "  You  look  as  glum  as 
owls." 

"  We're  troubled  a  little  about  our  mother.  She's 
a  widow  and  we  had  to  leave  her  all  alone,"  replied 
Jairus.  He  was  endeavoring  to  speak  as  hopefully 
as  possible ;  for  he  was  determined  to  seize  the  first 
opportunity  to  escape,  and  well  knew  that  he  must 
allay  all  their  suspicions  of  himself  and  of  his 
brother. 

"  Oh,  well,  that's  hard ;  no  doubt  about  that,"  re- 
plied David.  "  I've  had  to  leave  some  of  my  best 
friends  behind  me.  Not  my  mother,  though,"*  and 
he  laughed  lightly  as  he  spoke.  "  But  it  won't 
be  long.  Why,  Burgoyne  must  have  close  on  to 
ten  thousand  men  under  him,  and  the  colonies 
won't  stand  long  before  him.  He's  got  some  of  the 
best-trained  men  in  the  world  here,  and  he's  count- 
ing on  five  hundred  or  more  of  the  Tories  joining 
him  from  across  the  lake.  They're  good  fighters, 
you  know." 

"  Do  they  know  down  at  Fort  Ty  that  we're  on 
our  way  towards  them  ?  "  inquired  Jairus. 


«»• 


5''> 


TIVO    yOL'X<'    PATKfOTS. 


■'  1  hope  not."  lauKlKd  navul.    "  Us  .u>t  s<.  ^reat 
.  n,  S  they  clc'hougl.;  for  if"  ""'>■ ''"ViVbU 
en       little.     It  can't  stop  it.    '•'''•^y  ""/ ^f!'   f,  "^Z! 
at  the  fort,  but  we're  bound  to  take  .t.     Can  t  be 
oherwis>--   you  see;  and  then  when  they  hear  that 
S        ege    is  eoming  down  the  Mohawk,  and  S,r 
Hcnrv  and  Lord  Howe  are  eo.ning  up  he  Hudson, 
,V     be  an  day  with  them.    We'll  spl.t  'em  open, 
just  the  way  Ihey  used  to  open  oyste.  down  on 
he  shore  of  Long  Island  bound      W'"  'J^^  "^ 
oysters  and  throw  away  the  shells.     Us  ha  d  to 
leave  your  mother  alone,   though,  boys,     11   no 
J        ,Lf  hut  she  isn't  the  only  woman  that  has 
on,it(or  .t:e«  now.     B"'  'W"  »"  '^^^  '^ 
h.  a  minute,  when  they  see  us  ^''>"'"g^''°"^'=  '"^^^ 
few  days,  and  the  thing  all  done.     And  Hn  gcnng 
to  have  a  home  of  my  own,  Ws.  'hen,  - 1  don  t 
mind  telling  you;  so  you  see  that    'm  ,ust  ^  mueh 
in  a  hurry  for  the  thmg  to  be  over,  as  ever  you 

'^rd's^oke  lightly,  and  it  was  evident  that  he 

had  no  suspicions  of  the  boys.  ^ 

"  Whafll  we  have  to  do  ?     asked  Samuel.       Uo 
you  suppose  we  can  stop  anywhere,  or  get  word  to 

"°'oh,'l   make  no  doubt  youll  be  assigned  to 

Fraser's  corps  in  the  morning.    You  know  Ge.^ 

TrT  Fraser  has  command  of  the  loyahsts  and  the 

;  ianl    Phillips  has  about  all  the  art.  lej,,  and 

Baron  de  Riedesel  has  the  Hessians.    Youll  know 


/Afk'i's  .i(-rs. 


If 


not  so  threat 
y  pu'v  off  the 
,y  fight  a  bit 
t.     Can't  be 
ey  hear  that 
iwk,  and  Sir 
the  Hudson, 
lit  'em  open, 
ers  clown  on 
'e'll  take  the 

It's  hard  to 
)oys,  rU  not 
man  that  has 

all  forget  it 
ig  home  in  a 
.nd  I'm  going 
len, —  I  don't 
II  just  as  much 
r,  as  ever  you 

vident  that  he 

Samuel.    "Do 
or  get  word  to 

je  assigned  to 
ou  know  Gen- 
)yalists  and  the 
e  artillery,  and 
5.     You'll  know 


all  about  it  soon  onoiigh.  but  I  niaki-  no  duubt 
you'll  Ik-  put  with  I  "laser's  mt-n.  riity  arc  the 
fellows  that  are  used  to  go  ahead  and  dear  the 
way,  and  find  out  what  the  other  chaps  are  up 
to.  Fraser's  the  best  man  in  the  army,  next  to 
John  Hurgoyne." 

"  I  hope  we'll  be  with  him,  then."  said  Jairus 
decidedly,  giving  his  urother  a  glance  full  of  mean- 
ing as  he  spoke.  "  That's  the  kind  of  work  we  can 
do  best.  Do  you  know  what's  become  of  Arthur? 
That's  the  other  fellow  who  was  with  us  when  we 
joined  the  army." 

"  No.  I'd  forgotten  there  was  another  one  with 
you.  You'll  find  him  in  the  morning.  I've  got  to 
go  on  duty  to-night,  so  you'll  have  to  keep  this 
tent  to  yourselves.     Think  you  can  do  it  ?  " 

"  We'll  try  it,"  responded  Samuel  quickly,  almost 
too  quickly,  his  brother  thought ;  for  he  added,  "  I 
hope  you  won't  be  gone  all  night.  When'll  you 
come  back  ? " 

"  Twelve  o'clock.  But  I'm  ofT  now,  so  good 
night  to  you.     Your  mother's  all  right,  I  know." 

For  a  long  time  the  boys  in  low  tones  talked 
over  their  situation  when  they  were  left  to  them- 
selves. To  attempt  to  steal  out  of  the  camp  that 
night  was  useless,  for  guards  had  been  stationed 
on  every  side.  Arthur's  disappearance  troubled 
them,  but  at  last  they  stretched  themselves  on 
the  ground  to  take  such  rest  as  they  could  get, 
after  having  decided  that  their  best  and  only  safe 


I 

Itll 


,j,  riyO    YOUNG  rATKtOTS. 

ours,  was  t.)  wait  for  the  c.ming  <>f  the  morning, 
and  be  ready  t,.  take  advantage  of  the  first  oppor- 
tunitv  that  presented  itself. 

It  was  broad  daylight  when  their  companion 
aroused  them.  "  Come,  boys,  it's  time  to  turn  out ! 
It's  all  fixed,  and  you've  been  assigned  to  Erasers 
corps;  just  as  1  Jhought  you'd  be.     You  11  see  some 

fun  pretty  soon."  ,       r      it    i. 

"  What,  are  we  going  to  start  to-day  for  Fort 

Tv?"  said  Jairus. 

»  No,  not  quite  that.  We've  got  to  hang  about 
here  a  bit.  The  general's  going  to  wait  for  more 
of  the  loyalists  to  join  him.  It  seems  there  s  a  lo 
of  'em  coming  from  the  other  side  of  the  lake.  1 
guess  it  won't  be  long  before  you  can  t  find  a  Whig 
on  the  shores  of  either  lake.  The  sooner,  the  bet- 
ter for  us  all,  say  I." 

"Then  you  don't  think  the  Yankees  will  fight 

much?"  asked  Jairus  quietly. 

"Oh,  they'll  fight  some.  I  make  no  doubt  ot 
that  •  but  what  can  they  do  against  the  artillery 
and  the  regulars?  And  then,  they  haven t  any 
such  men  here  as  John  Burgoyne  is.  He  s  prom- 
ised  to  look  after  all  who  will  come  over  to  the 
king's  side  now,  and  give  them  his  protection,  no 
matter  who,  or  what,  they  were  before  " 

"  That's  good  of  him,"  said  Samuel  quietly.  1 
wonder  if  he  got  all  the  Indians  here  to  help  lirm 
see  that  his  words  were  carried  out  ? " 

"Oh,  he  thinks   he'll    keep   the   redskins   safe 


y.l/A'l'S  ACTS. 


59 


lu'  morning. 
>  first  oppor- 

r   companion 

to  turn  out ! 

[I  to  Fraser's 

)u'll  see  some 

day  for  Fort 

3  hang  about 
wait  for  more 
i  there's  a  lot 
E  the  lake.  I 
t  find  a  Whig 
loner,  the  bet- 

cees  will  fight 

:  no  doubt  of 
,t  the  artillery 
y  haven't  any 
,.  He's  prom- 
le  over  to  the 
protection,  no 

e." 

el  quietly.     "  I 

re  to  help  Ii"^^^ 

redskins   safe 


enougli,"  said  David  confidently,  and  all  unaware 
of  the  feeling  implied  in  Samuel's  words.  "  If 
there  should  be  much  fighting,  why  they  might 
make  trouble;  but  as  it  is,  you  know,  why  the 
sight  of  the  great  army  will  be  enough  to  bring 
every  Whig  to  his  knees.  Do  you  know,  I 
shouldn't  be  surprised  if  Fort  Ty  gave  up  with- 
out a  peep.  So,  you  see,  there'll  be  no  trouble 
with  the  redskins." 

A  few  weeks  later  Samuel  thought  of  these 
\\ords  of  David,  when  before  his  face  there  was 
flourished  a  dark  and  glossy  scalp,  the  sight  of 
which  drove  the  color  from  his  face  and  filled  his 
her,  !:  wiih  an  anguish  which  never  found  relief. 
Bii.  \t  the  time,  all  were  in  ignorance  of  the  com- 
i'lg  events,  and  the  strong  confidence  of  David 
was  not  \>ithout  a  marked  effect  on  both  his 
hearers. 

They  did  their  l)est,  however,  to  keep  up  an 
appearance  of  interest,  and  when  David  turned  to 
go  and  said :  "  By  the  way,  Jairus,  you  are  to  go 
with  Wyandot  Panther  and  me  across  the  lake 
this  morning,"  Jairus  replied,  "  I'm  ready  to  go. 
How  long  will  it  be  before  we  start?" 

"  I'll  be  back  for  you  in  an  hour  or  two ;  so  don't 
go  far  away." 

"  What  are  we  going  for  ? " 

"  Oh,  it's  some  message,  I  believe,  for  a  man  on 
the  other  shore.  He's  a  good  loyalist  and  the  gen- 
eral knows  he  can  depend  on  him.     He's  to  make  a 


imiliilUI.'iilllMI'WlilliWMil 


Tivo  yoL'.vo-  rATfiiors. 

.eport,  or  some  such  thing,  about  the  feces  of  the 
loyalists  who  are  gathering  there^  ^^^^ 

I'll  wait  for  you,    said  J  aims,  at,  l  av 

"  Neither  of  the  boys  left  the  tent  before  David 
returned  They  talked  in  low  tones  and  rted  to 
fitd  some  possible  way  out  of  their  troubles,  but 

"T^SSairus  at  last.    "We'll  just  have 
tn  keeo  our  eyes  open  and  do  our  best.    I    we  get 
rep'TaLd,  then  each'  one  will  have  to  look  ^ter  htm. 
self.     Arthur  Goodwin's  the  one  1  m  most  atad 
nf  for  he  can  raise  the  mischiei  with  us.     were 
li  ri  h'  now,  or  at  least  thus  far;  for^-Ve 'et  >;■ 
words  stand  just  as  he  gave  them.     He  'hmU  hes 
Trapped  us  into  joining  Burgoyne's  ^™y;  .^"^^J 
let  Wm  think  so  for  a  while.     IJut  ,ust  let  h.m  look 
r  „t      That's  all  I've  got  to  say. 

•Here's  David,"  said  Samuel. as  their  compamon 

entered  the  tent.    "All  ready?" 

"Yes,  we're  all  ready.    Come  on,  Ja.rus.     Next 

time  you  can  go,  Sam,  but  this  time  the  canoe  won  t 

S  but  threl  and  the  Panther^  go.ng  to  p  ddte. 

P„„e  lairus-  he's  waiting  now  down  on  the  shoie. 
wTwoK  gone  over  ^ht,"  he  added  as  he  and 
iairus  left  the  tent  and  started  towards  the  lake 
^Tyindot  Panther  was  waiting  for  them,  and  ma 
moment  thev  had  taken  their  places  m  the  light 
"anoe  The'guns  were  placed  carefully  in  the  bot- 
torn  and  as  ea^h  was  thoroughly  at  home  in  the  use 


/A/A' us  ACTS. 


6i. 


[orccs  of  the 

avid  left  the 

jefore  David 
and  tried  to 
troubles,  but 

^e'U  just  have 
it.     If  we  get 
ook  after  him- 
n  most  afraid 
th  us.     We're 
r  we've  let  his 
Hie  thinks  he's 
army ;  so  we'll 
5t  let  him  look 

leir  companion 

Jairus.     Next 
the  canoe  won't 
;oing  to  paddle, 
n  on  the  shore, 
dded,  as  he  and 
rds  the  lake. 
:  them,  and  in  a 
:es  in  the  light 
ifuUy  in  the  bot- 
home  in  the  use 


of  a  canoe,  they  had  no  difficulty  in  maintaining 
their  places  as  the  Indian  sent  the  little  craft  for- 
ward by  his  long  and  steady  sweeps  of  the  paddle. 

For  a  time  they  sped  on  in  silence.  Jairus 
watched  the  muscular  savage  as  he  skilfully  swept 
the  water.  He  was  a  tall  and  powerful  Indian,  and 
one  for  whom  Jairus  knew  he  would  be  no  match 
in  an  encounter.  His  face  was  almost  expression- 
less, and,  save  for  an  occasional  gleam  from  his 
dark  eyes  as  he  glanced  quickly  out  over  the  lake, 
would  not  have  betrayed  any  of  his  feelings. 

No  one  spoke.  The  guns  lay  temptingly  near 
him,  and  more  than  once  Jairus  was  almost  ready 
to  grasp  one  and  strive  to  make  his  escape.  But 
what  could  he  do }  To  swim  ashore  was  impossi- 
ble from  where  they  were,  and  if  he  should  over- 
turn the  canoe,  it  might  only  result  in  the  death  of 
all  three.  No,  his  only  hope  lay  in  waiting  for  aid, 
or  for  a  favorable  opportunity  on  shore ;  but  when 
he  thought  of  the  object  of  their  voyage,  his  heart 
sank.     What  could  he  hope  for } 

Meanwhile,  the  canoe  sped  on  and  on,  the  Indian 
being  apparently  tireless  in  his  efforts.  As  steadily 
as  if  he  had  been  a  machine  he  kept  the  paddle 
moving  and  held  the  canoe  to  its  course. 

But  at  last  the  shore  became  more  distinct.     The 

outlines  of  trees  and  rocks  could  be  seen,  and  in  a 

brief  time  the  canoe  was  drawn  up  on  the  beach  by 

the  three  men,  and  they  leaped  lightly  ashore. 

"  Now,  Jairus,  you  and  the  Panther  wait  for  me 


62 


Tivo  YOUNG  PAT  mors. 


here.     I'll  not  be  gone  long,  jjicI  I'll  know  just  what 
to  do  when  I  come  back." 

The  Indian  made  no  reply,  and  Jairus  soon  fol- 
lowed his  example  and  seated  himself  to  await  the 
return  of  their  companion.  But  his  thoughts  be- 
came more  and  more  bitter.  There  he  was,  appar- 
ently aiding  the  king's  side.  The  canoe  looked  up 
at  him  temptingly.  His  gun  was  on  the  ground  by 
his  side,  and  yet  he  did  not  dare  to  use  it.  He 
knew  not  how  many  men  might  be  near.  Perhaps 
even  now  they  were  watching  him. 

He  glanced  behind  him  at  the  thought,  but  the 
monotonous  outline  of  the  forest  was  unbroken. 
The  sighing  of  the  trees,  the  ripples  on  the  shore, 
the  songs  of  the  birds  were  there,  but  that  was 
all.     And  yet  freedom  was  so  near,  if  only  he  could 

gain  it!  .  , 

A  low  exclamation  from  his  companion  caused 
him  to  look  up,  just  as  David  returned  and  said: 
"  I've  got  to  see  two  more  men,  and  I'll  have  to  go 
down  the  shore  a  piece.  I'm  going  through  the 
woods,  and  want  you  to  take  the  canoe  and  paddle 
down  to  the  point."  He  gave  some  minute  instruc- 
tions to  the  Panther,  and  then  turned  quickly  again 
and  disappeared  from  sight. 

To  his  offer  to  paddle,  the  Indian  made  no  re- 
sponse, and  accordingly  Jairus  took  his  place  m 
the  canoe  once  more.  The  Panther's  strokes  were 
even  swifter  and  more  powerful  than  before.  His 
appearance  was  hideous,  and  when  Jairus  thought 


ow  just  what 

rus  soon  fol- 
to  await  the 
thoughts  be- 
,e  was,  appar- 
oe  looked  up 
he  ground  by 
I  use  it.  He 
jar.     Perhaps 

ught,  but  the 
as  unbroken, 
on  the  shore, 
but  that  was 
only  he  could 

janion  caused 
ned  and  said: 
I'll  have  to  go 
r  through  the 
oe  and  paddle 
ninute  instruc- 
l  quickly  again 

n  made  no  re- 
c  his  place  in 
's  strokes  were 
n  before.  His 
Jairus  thought 


JAIKUS  ACTS.  53 

of  the  name  by  which  he  had  heard  him  called,  — 
"Wyandot  Panther,"  — he  knew  that  it  must  be 
characteristic  of  the  warrior.  What  a  dangerous 
enemy  he  would  be!  Jairus  was  no  stripling, 
but  he  knew  he  would  be  helpless  if  once  he 
were  within  the  grasp  of  the  powerful  warrior 
before  him. 

The  Panther  held  the  canoe  well  inshore  now, 
and  the  steady  strokes  would  soon  bring  them  to 
the  point  they  were  seeking. 

Thoughts  of  his  mother  and  her  danger,  of  the 
garrison  at  Fort  Ticonderoga,  and  how  that  prob- 
ably they  were  all  unsuspicious  of  the  impending 
peril  flashed  through  Jairus's  mind.  And  yet  he 
was  assisting  the  enemy! 

Almost  desperate,  he  glanced  again  at  the  Indian 
before  him.  He  was  on  his  knees  now  and  his  back 
was  toward  Jairus.  How  he  hated  the  sight  of  him ! 
How  he  would  like  to  throw  him  into  the  lake ! 

Suddenly  a  new  impulse  seized  him.  In  his  des- 
peration he  determined  to  make  one  effort  to  escape. 
The  gun  was  near  his  feet,  and  without  changing 
his  position  he  reached  forward  and  slowly  drew  it 
to  him.  He  knew  not  who  might  be  watching  him 
from  the  shore,  but  he  did  know  that  the  sound  of 
a  shot  might  bring  about  him  a  multitude  of  ene- 
mies, und  escape  would  then  be  an  impossibility. 

The  gun  was  in  his  hands  now,  and  the  Panther 
had  not  turned.  For  several  minutes  more  the 
canoe   sped   on,  the    Indian  working  silently  and 


irwwmrartaimjiiat 


64 


TIVO   YOUNii  PAlKIorS. 


Should   he 


steadily,   and    still    J  aims    hesitated. 

shoot  ? 

Suddenly  the  Indian  uttered  a  low  exclamation 
and  slightly  changed  the  course  of  the  canoe.  It 
was  then  or  never  that  Jairus  must  act,  and  after 
hesitating  but  a  moment  he  said  in  a  low  voice : 
"  No,  no.     Keep  on  up  the  lake." 

The  Panther  turned  quickly  at  the  word,  and  the 
desperate  lad  as  quickly  brought  the  old  flint-lock 
to  his  shoulder. 


i 


m 


Should   he 

exclamation 
»e  canoe.  It 
ict,  and  after 
a  low  voice: 

word,  and  the 
old  flint-lock 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE    STRUGGLE    IN    THE   WATER. 

For  a  moment  the  two  men  were  motionless. 
Jairus  felt,  rather  than  saw,  that  the  eyes  of  the 
Panther  were  glittering  as  they  gazed  at  him.  but 
the  open  muzzle  of  even  an  old  flint-lock  is  a  very 
effectual  check  upon  active  demonstrations.  Jairus, 
seated  in  the  stern,  held  the  gun  steadily  to  his 
shoulder,  and  the  Indian  merely  dropped  the  paddle 
which  he  had  lifted  from  the  water  at  the  unexpected 
summons,  and,  without  moving  a  muscle,  gazed  at 
the  young  man  in  front  of  him. 

The  strain  was  intense,  and  Jairus  knew  that  his 
own  heart  was  beating  rapidly.  In  his  momentary 
desperation  he  had  spoken  the  word,  but  now  that 
his  summons  was  heeded  he  hardly  knew  what  to 
do.  To  shoot  might  arouse  the  waiting  men  on 
the  shore,  for  he  was  satisfied  from  David's  words 
that  "the  irregulars"  were  assembling,  and,  doubt- 
less, at  any  moment  might  appear  in  large  numbers 
to  cross  the  lake  to  join  Burgoyne.  And,  besides, 
there  was  the  horror  of  taking  a  human  life,  even 
that  of  a  painted  savage  who  would  not  hesitate  a 
"  6s 


wmnmMWMtw 


66 


Tiyo  yuLxa  i'atkiots. 


moment  to  take  his  if  the  advantage  were  on  his 

"*'  How  the  affair  might  have  terminated  if  the  out- 
come had  been  left  to  him,  he  never  knew  but  it 
was  settled  a  moment  later  when,  with  a  yell  that 
almost  made  him  drop  his  gun,  the  Panther,  with  a 
sudden  leap,  sprang  into  the  water  and  overturned 

the  canoe.  .  , 

Jairus  pressed  his  finger  on  the  trigger  and  the 
sharp  report  of  his  gun  rang  out ;  but  his  aim  had 
been  destroyed  by  the  sudden  movement  of  the 
Indian,  and  in  a  moment  he  found  himself  in  the 
water.  The  gun  sank  in  the  lake,  and  he  felt  him- 
self going  down. 

By  a  desperate  effort  he  rose  quickly  to  the  sur- 
face, and  as  soon  as  his  head  was  above  the  water 
he  saw  what  the  purpose  of  the  Panther  was.  Evi- 
dently the  canoe  had  floated  farther  from  him  than 
he  had  counted  upon,  but  he  was  swimming  with 
desperate  strokes  towards  the  little  craft. 

It  was  a  few  yards  nearer  Jairus,  however,  and 
the  lad  struck  out  for  it  with  lusty  strokes.  He 
had  moccasins  on  his  feet,  as  the  Indian  had,  and 
his  clothing  was  but  a  slight  encumbrance.  He 
realized  at  once  that  it  was  a  desperate  race,  and 
that  whoever  should  be  the  first  to  gain  the  canoe 
would  probably  save  his  own  life,  while  the  loser 
in  the  race  might  forfeit  his. 

Jairus  was  an  expert  swimmer  and  for  years  had 
had  practice  in  the  art;   for  at  the  close   of  the 


■■*^s'f^mffimii*'^ii» 


^fn!m»imwmmm*mmm 


ugufliuM'iftaM***  ■'  I'W 


niliiliiHyni 


THE  STRUGGLE  IN   THE   WATER. 


67 


irere  on  his 

I  if  the  out- 
cnew,  but  it 

a  yell  that 
ther,  with  a 

overturned 

ger  and  the 
his  aim  had 
nent  of  the 
mself  in  the 
he  felt  him- 

y  to  the  sur- 
ive  the  water 
er  was.  Evi- 
om  him  than 
imming  with 

ft. 

however,  and 
strokes.  He 
dian  had,  and 
nbrance.  He 
rate  race,  and 
ain  the  canoe 
hile  the  loser 

for  years  had 
close   of  the 


summer  days,  he  and  Samuel  had  been  accustomed 
to  seek  a  sheltered  spot  by  the  lake  side,  and  swim 
and  dive  in  the  cool  water;  and  all  he  had  gained 
stood  him  in  good  stead  now. 

Swift  swimmer  as  he  was,  however,  the  Indian 
was  as  swift  as  he.  Jairus  could  see  the  water  al- 
most boil  as  the  muscular  savage  forced  his  way 
onward.  Each  swimmer  realized  the  necessity 
of  doing  his  utmost,  and  Jairus  put  forth  all  the 
strength  he  could  summon.  Important  as  the  race 
was,  the  end  would  come  in  a  minute,  and  the  eager 
lad  almost  shouted  as  he  saw  that  he  was  the  first 
to  arrive  at  the  canoe. 

There  was  no  time  in  which  to  turn,  or  try  to 
crawl  into  the  canoe,  and  he  therefore  gave  it  one 
quick,  hard  push  and  sent  it  yards  ahead  of  both  of 
them. 

Again  the  race  was  resumed,  and  the  swimmers 
were  not  far  apart  now.  The  struggle  became  even 
more  desperate  than  before.  The  still  waters  of 
the  lake  were  rolled  back  in  waves  as  they  plunged 
onward.  Their  breath  came  in  quick,  hard  gasps, 
and  each  could  hear  the  heavy  breathing  of  the 
other.  Still,  neither  turned  to  glance  behind  him, 
the  one  aim  of  each  now  being  to  gain  the  canoe 
before  the  other. 

Jairus  felt  rather  than  saw  that  he  was  gaining 
slightly.  The  efforts  he  was  putting  forth,  how- 
ever, could  not  long  be  continued.  If  the  issue  of 
the  race  became  a  question  of  endurance,  he  was 


wmmmi^mimmmMiiSim 


m'AiSiiii 


68 


Tiyo   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


well  aware  what  the  outcome  would  be.  What  he 
was  to  do,  he  must  do  quickly,  and  once  mo.e  shut- 
ting his  teeth  tightly  together,  and  hardly  breathing 
under  the  great  strain,  he  strove  to  increase  his 

efforts.  .  . 

Again  he  was  the  first  to  gain  the  canoe,  but 
once  more  he  saw  that  before  he  could  clamber  in 
the  Indian  would  be  upon  him,  and,  besides,  there 
was  little  likelihood  that  he  could  keep  the  light 
craft  from  capsizing;  and  again  he  gave  the  boat 
a  hard  push  and  sent  it  far  ahead  of  them. 

There  was  a  desperate  thought  in  his  mmd  now 
of  turning  and  entering  into  a  contest  with  the  Ind- 
ian in  the  water,  where  he  thought  he  might  not 
be  at  such  a  disadvantage  as  he  would  be  on  shore ; 
but  one  hasty  glance  at  the  savage  face  behind  him, 
rendered  more  hideous  now  by  the  effect  of  the 
water  on  his  war-paint,  was  sufficient,  and  he  turned 
and  again  began  his  desperate  struggle  to  be  once 
more  the  first  to  gain  the  canoe.  ,      ,     ,     , 

His  heart  almost  stood  still  when  he  looked 
at  the  canoe  and  perceived  that  his  last  effort  had 
sent  it  straight  upon  the  shore  of  a  little  island 
near  by.  The  island  was  only  a  rock  which  jutted 
out  of  the  water,  and  he  could  see  that  it  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  shoal ;  but  he  knew  now  that  if  he 
crained  the  boat  first,  the  end  of  the  struggle  had 
come.  If  he  should  fail,  the  advantage  would  all 
then  be  with  his  enemy,  and  although  he  was  be- 
ginning to  feel  the  effect  of  his  fearful  contest,  he 


mim  imiWMHiww-xB— 


HMnMtmaaMWIMIMiiBi 


Till:    STRUG  GIF.    IX    THE    WATr.K. 


What  he 

moiC  shut- 

y  breathing 

ncrease  his 

canoe,  but 
clamber  in 
2sides,  there 
:p  the  light 
ve  the  boat 
m. 

s  mind  now 
^ith  the  Ind- 
e  might  not 
be  on  shore ; 
behind  him, 
effect  of  the 
nd  he  turned 
le  to  be  once 

n  he  looked 
ist  effort  had 
L  little  island 
which  jutted 
at  it  was  sur- 
)w  that  if  he 
struggle  had 
ige  would  all 
;h  he  was  be- 
ul  contest,  he 


69 


again  increased  his  efforts  and  swam  on  even  more 
swiftly  than  before.  He  was  aware  that  the  Pan- 
ther knew  as  well  as  he  that  the  end  was  at  hand, 
and  that  he,  too,  had  increased  his  speed. 

Once  more  Jairus  realized  that  he  was  gaining, 
though  his  lead  was  not  great  enough  to  furnish 
much  comfort.  Moment  after  moment  passed,  and 
still  the  desperate  lad  struggled  on. 

He  was  the  first  to  gain  the  shoal,  which,  he  per- 
ceived as  soon  as  his  feet  touched  bottom,  did  not 
gradually  taper  into  the  lake,  but  came  to  a  sudden 
end. 

Struggling,  stumbling,  almost  falling,  hardly  able 
to  draw  his  breath,  he  somehow  rushed  forward  and 
his  hand  rested  on  the  edge  of  the  canoe.  With 
one  desperate  effort  he  threw  himself  into  it  and 
felt  that  the  impetus  he  had  given  it  had  sent  it 
farther  out  into  the  lake,  and  that  now  it  was  free 
from  the  shore. 

He  gained  his  balance  as  he  rose  to  his  feet,  and 
as  he  turned  to  use  the  paddle  which  he  had  hastily 
seized,  for  somehow  the  canoe  had  quickly  righted 
itself  after  he  and  the  Indian  had  left  it,  he  saw 
the  head  of  the  Panther  within  two  feet  of  the  stern. 
In  a  moment  his  hand  would  be  on  it  and  then  the 
canoe  would  be  overturned  and  he  would  again  be 
thrown  into  the  water,  and  the  advantage  would  all 
be  with  the  savage,  whose  eyes  were  already  shin- 
ing with  the  triumph  he  thought  was  to  be  his. 

Hardly    realizing    what    he    was    doing,    Jairus 


70 


rivo  vor.VG  r.wKfors. 


,,uicklv  raised  the  paddle  and  brought  it  down 
with  all  his  strens^th  on  the  Indian's  head  just  as 
his  hand  was  stretched  forth  to  grasp  the  edge  of 

the  canoe. 

The  hand  was  withdrawn  as  the  blow  fell,  the 
ci^forts  ceased,  and  before  he  fully  realized  what  had 
taken  place  the  Indian  sank  into  the  water.  A  few 
bubbles  appeared,  there  was  a  ripple  for  a  moment, 
and  then  the  waters  of  the  lake  were  as  placid  as 
if  they  had  never  witnessed  a  struggle  such  as  that 
which  was  now  ended. 

Without  waiting  to  see  whether  the  Indian  would 
rise  again  to  the  surface,  and  without  a  thought 
that  the  terrific  blow  he  had  struck  could  be  other 
than  fatal,  J  aims  at  once  began  to  wield  the  pad- 
dle, and,  almost  as  desperate  as  he  had  been  in  the 
contest  just  finished,  sent  the  canoe  swiftly  on  up 
the  lake.  The  struggle  might  have  been  seen  from 
the  shore,  and  the  fear  of  possible  pursuit  furnished 
an  added  motive  now  for  his  continued  efforts. 
For  three-quarters  of  an  hour  he  did  not  cease  his 
paddling,  but  then  the  weary  lad  stopped  and 
looked  carefully  about  him. 

Almost  unconsciously  he  had  kept  his  course  far 
out  in  the  lake.  Whether  he  had  been  seen  or  not, 
he  could  not  tell,  but  he  must  stop  and  determine 
what  his  further  course  was  to  be. 

His  first  thought  was  of  his  mother.  More  than 
thirty  hours  had  passed  since  the  boys  had  left 
home,  and  he   knew  that   not   a  word  could  have 


rill:    SlKrCCII:    I.V    mi:    WMIh'. 


ft 


ht  il  down 
leaii  just  as 
the  edge  of 

low  fell,  the 
ed  what  had 
Iter.  A  few 
ir  a  moment, 
as  placid  as 
such  as  that 

Indian  would 
It  a  thought 
)uld  be  other 
eld  the  pad- 
1  been  in  the 
wiftly  on  up 
en  seen  from 
,uit  furnished 
nued  efforts, 
not  cease  his 
stopped   and 

his  course  far 
n  seen  or  not, 
nd  determine 

More  than 
boys  had  left 
d  could  have 


comi.' to  Iht  of  thi'ir  whereabouts.  I  ><iiibtks>,  Ik  r 
fir^t  thought  would  be  th.it  they  had  been  killed  by 
the  panther  they  had  s^  forth  to  shoot.  And  yel 
she  would  not  believe  that  all  three  of  them  had 
been  slain  by  the  savage  beast.  Fei  Iiajjs  she  her- 
self had  gone  out  to  learn  the  cause  of  this  delay, 
and  it  was  more  than  possible  that  she  might  have 
fallen  a  victim  to  the  panther,  which  would  be 
doubly  .savage,  as  she  had  just  been  robbed  of  her 
mate. 

The  thought  made  the  weary  boy  shudder,  and 
he  thrust  his  paddle  quickly  into  the  water,  deter- 
mined to  return  nd  learn  of  his  mother's  condition, 
and,  if  she  were  still  living,  to  assure  her  of  his  own 
welfare,  and  tell  her  where  Samuel  was. 

He  had  taken  two  or  three  strokes  when  a  new 
thought  presented  itself.  Not  more  than  thirty  or 
thirty-five  miles  away  lay  old  Fort  Ty  and  its  garri- 
.son.  Did  the  men  know  of  the  presence  of  Bur- 
goyne  and  his  great  army.'  And  ought  not  his 
first  duty  to  be  to  inform  them  of  his  discovery .? 

For  a  time  Jairus  hesitated,  divided  in  his  feelings 
between  his  anxiety  for  his  mother  and  the  duty  of 
informing  the  garrison. 

At  last,  with  a  heavy  sigh  he  said  to  himself,  "To 
the  old  fort,  it  is.  Mother,  you'll  have  to  wait  a  bit 
before  you  get  your  message.  I  know  you'll  say  I'm 
doing  right,  and  if  I  can  only  get  word  to  the  fort  in 
time,  it  may  be  that  I'll  be  doing  the  very  best  thing 
for  you,  as  well  as  for  them.     Here  she  goes !" 


:.w,./-^J^-.-.a-y^... 


r 


72 


jit'o  yoiM;  r.tr/iioTS. 


IIc.sit.itiii;4  no  longtM-.  jairus  again  began  to  bend 
the  raiUK'  forward  up  the  lake.  He  knew  that  his 
task  was  to  be  no  Mgbt  one.  To  paddle  the  canoe 
thirty  niiks  up  the  lake  would  tax  his  powers  to  the 
utmost,  anil  .so  he  began  to  mea.sure  his  strength 
and  try  to  keep  the  canoe  steadily  on  her  way,  rather 
than  to  make  the  highest  speed. 

It  was  almost  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  now. 
The  wind  had  all  died  away,  and  scarcely  a  ripple 
could  be  seen  on  the  surface  of  the  lake.  The 
covering  for  his  head  had  been  lost  in  his  plunge 
into  the  water,  and  the  little  clothing  he  had  on 
was  soaked  and  dripping.  He  cared  for  none  of 
these  things,  however;  for  the  day  was  warm  and 
the  night  air  would  not  be  chilly. 

Occasionally,  he  stopped  and  looked  back  over 
the  lake.  He  could  see  the  shores  in  the  distance, 
and  here  and  there  appeared  a  bird  flying  low  over 
the  water.  Occasionally,  also,  there  would  be  a 
whirl  on  the  surface,  and  he  knew  that  some  fish 
had  arisen  for  his  supper. 

The  thought  brought  a  faint  smile  to  his  face  as 
he  realized  that  his  own  supper  would  be  very  like 
the  dinner  he  had  had  —  nothing. 

When  the  excitement  passed,  and  he  was  fully 
persuaded  that  he  was  not  pursued,  a  strange  weari- 
ness took  hold  upon  him.  His  arms  and  back 
ached  under  the  strain  he  was  giving  them,  but  he 
seldom  relaxed  his  efforts.  He  had  determined  to 
bear  the  tidings  he  had  to  give  to  the  garrison  at 


wrarifeaasttlllaiw«aM.<wi)t!iflB»Miiiiiilliiij[iW^^ 


'  int-m- 


Till:    S/'h'CCiir.l:    IX    Till:    WATl-.R. 


n 


L'gan  to  bend 
:new  that  his 
:11c  the  canoe 
)o\vers  to  the 
his  strength 
r  way,  rather 

tornoon  now. 
rcely  a  ripple 
lake.  The 
n  his  plunge 
g  he  had  on 
for  none  of 
IS  warm  and 

;d  back  over 
the  distance, 
Mng  low  over 
would  be  a 
at  some  fish 

to  his  face  as 
I  be  very  like 

he  was  fully 
trange  weari- 
is  and  back 
them,  but  he 
letermined  to 
I  garrison  at 


Ticonderoga ;  and  (he  thought  of  what  it  might 
mean  to  them,  and  indirectly  to  his  mother,  his 
brother,  and  himself,  provided  the  ?icedful  stimulus. 
The  afternoon  j)asscd,  and  the  weary  fcoy  still 
paddled  on.  The  sun  sank  lower  and  lower  in  the 
west,  and  finally  disappeared.  The  stars  came  out 
in  the  sky;  he  could  hear  the  occasional  mournful 
calls  of  the  owls  on  the  shore;  the  night  birds  and 
bats  appeared  here  and  there,  and  darted  about  him 
as  if  they  could  not  comprehend  the  meaning  of  his 
visit  in  the  darkness. 

The  shores  of  the  lake  were  not  so  far  apart  now 
as  they  had  been.  He  stopped  more  frequently  and 
listened.  The  night  was  not  very  clear,  although 
he  could  make  out  the  stars  above  him,  but  he 
could  neither  see  nor  hear  anything  to  alarm  him. 
Jairus  was  a  resolute  lad,  and  his  sturdy  frame 
was  capable  of  great  endurance,  but  he  was  ber  om- 
ing  thoroughly  weary.  His  escape  from  the  Ind  ian, 
the  race  in  the  water,  a  race  for  life,  and  the  long- 
continued  paddling  all  combined  now  in  their  efif  :cts, 
and  the  boy  was  becoming  almost  exhausted. 

He  almost  ceased  to  be  mindful  of  danger,  but 
still  he  paddled  on  and  on,  as  if  he  were  some 
machine.  Would  the  end  never  come?  The 
steady  sound  of  his  paddle  was  seldom  broken 
now.  An  enemy  might  creep  up  near  him  and  he 
would  not  have  discovered  him  until  he  was  close 
by.  The  one  thought  in  the  mind  of  the  desperate 
boy  was  that,  come  what  might,  he  must  go  on  to 


74 


7UyO    YOUSC,    PATKIOTS. 


m 


old  Ty  with  his  message,  and  then  the  labor  would 
be  ended  and  he  could  rest. 

The  darkness  became  deeper.  The  silence  was 
almost  oppressive  and  there  were  tiriies  when  jairus 
felt  that  he  must  shout,  or  he  would  go  mad.  His 
hands  were  raw  and  bleeding,  his  breath  came  in 
gasps,  and  if  any  one  could  have  looked  on  his  face 
they  would  have  seen  that  it  was  marked  with  suffer- 
ing. Still  the  canoe  sped  on ;  still  the  lad  did  not 
lay  down  the  paddle. 

Suddenly  an  interruption  came.  Almost  before 
he  was  aware  of  it  a  boat  of  some  kind  shot  across 
his  bow.  He  indistinctly  heard  the  sound  of  voices, 
and  dimly  realized  that  the  party  must  consist  of 
several  men.  He  did  not  know  whether  he  was 
afraid  or  glad ;  it  made  little  difference  r.ow. 

"  Hello,  the  canoe !  Stop !  Give  ar  account  of 
yourself ! " 

He  heard  the  command  spoken  in  a  low  voice, 
and  knew  the  boat  was  near.  He  ceased  paddling, 
but  made  no  reply  to  the  hail.  It  seemed  to  him 
that  his  tongue  was  paralyzed,  and  he  could  not 
utter  a  sound. 

"  Didn't  you  hear  the  hail  ?  Can't  you  give  an 
account  of  yourself?  You  might  get  blown  to 
smithereens  by  such  tomfoolery." 

Still  Jairus  made  no  reply,  although  he  knew  that 
there  was  a  boat  alongside  now,  and  that  some  one 
had  grasped  the  edge  of  the  canoe. 

For  the  past  few  miles  Jairus  had  been  on  his 


W    ■■■■JUilUllllMIIIIMIJIIMUIIIJd 


I 


1  labor  would 

2  silence  was 
j  when  jairus 
;o  mad.  His 
;ath  came  in 
:d  on  his  face 
;d  with  suffer- 
e  lad  did  not 

Umost  before 
d  shot  across 
und  of  voices, 
ust  consist  of 
lether  he  was 
e  r.ow. 
ar  account  of 

1  a  low  voice, 
ised  paddling, 
eemed  to  him 
he  could  not 

t  you  give  an 
get   blown   to 

\  he  knew  that 
that  some  one 

d  been  on  his 


■N 


I 


THE   STRUGGLE  iX   THE    WATER. 


75 


knees  paddling,  and  even  when  he  realized  that  the 
canoe  had  been  taken  in  tow,  and  that  he  was  being 
drawn  through  the  water  without  any  effort  on  his 
part,  he  did  not  change  his  position.  All  that  he 
was  aware  of,  was  that  some  one  had  taken  him, 
and  that  the  end  of  his  voyage,  whatever  that  end 
might  be,  had  come. 


r 


CHAPTER    VII. 


WITHIN    THE    FORT. 

When  Jairus  first  realized  where  he  was,  and 
what  was  about  him,  he  found  himself  in  a  boat, 
and  several  men  were  with  him.  He  had  eaten 
nothing  since  early  morning,  and  his  struggle  with 
the  Panther  and  his  ceaseless  efforts  during  the 
remainder  of  the  day  and  far  into  the  night,  for 
the  morning  was  almost  come  when  he  arrived  at 
the  end  of  his  voyage,  had  almost  exhausted  him. 

He  was  only  dimly  conscious  that  he  was  not 
alone,  and  that  the  men  about  him  were  talking  in 
low  tones.  Just  how  long  he  had  been  there  he 
did  not  know,  but  as  soon  as  he  was  aware  of  his 
surroundings,  the  purpose  of  his  visit  flashed  into 
his  mind,  and  he  quickly  raised  himself  into  a 
sitting  posture. 

.  vh,  the  lad's  come  to,"  he  heard  one  of  the  men 
say.  "  Now  he  can  explain  to  us  how  he  happened 
to  be  out  in  that  ere  canoe.  Now,  sonny,  give  us 
yer  story." 

Jairus  realized  that  one  of  the  men  was  speaking 
to  him,  but,  tired  as  he  was,  he  did  not  know  into 
whose  hands  he  had  fallen.     It  was  too  dark  to  per- 

76 


WITHIN  THE  FORT, 


77 


he  was,  and 
If  in  a  boat, 
e  had  eaten 
itruggle  with 
i  during  the 
le  night,  for 
le  arrived  at 
Listed  him. 

he  was  not 
re  talking  in 
jen  there  he 
aware  of  his 

flashed  into 
Tiself  into  a 

e  of  the  men 
he  happened 
)nny,  give  us 

was  speaking 
ot  know  into 
)  dark  to  per- 


ceive whether  the  men  wore  uniforms  or  not,  but 
the  twang  in  the  speaker's  tones  led  him  to  believe 
that  he  must  belong  to  the  region. 

"  Where  am  I  ?  Who's  got  mt  ?  Who  are  you  ? " 
at  last  he  managed  to  say. 

"Who  be  we.?"  said  the  man  who  had  spoken 
before.  "  Neow  that  ere's  most  too  hard  to  tell. 
We've  got  some  men  here  who've  been  a  travellin' 
up  and  deown  the  arth  as  Satan  did  when  he  found 
Job.  The  proper  question's,  who  be  you.?  Don't 
ye  mind  us,  but  jest  give  a  little  account  o'  yerself. 
That's  the  proper  thing  to  do  jest  at  the  present 
time." 

Jairus  was  too  weary  to  think,  but  he  knew  from 
the  distance  that  he  had  covered  that  he  must  be 
somewhere  near  the  American  lines,  and  resolving 
to  venture  all  in  his  reply,  he  said :  "  I've  just 
escaped  from  Burgoyne's  camp.  I've  been  paddling 
that  canoe  since  morning,  I  couldn't  stop,  for  I 
wanted  to  get  word  to  Ticonderoga  that  the  British 
were  comiror  up  the  lake." 

Too  exhausted  to  speak  further,  he  ceased,  and 
waited  almost  with  a  feeling  of  indifference  for  the 
reply  to  be  spoken. 

"  Ye've  brought  yer  goods  to  the  correct  market, 
young  man.  I  don't  know  as  ye've  told  us  any 
news,  for  we  happen  to  know  what  Burgoyne's  up  to, 
but  'twas  a  brave  deed.  'Twas  that,  and  Jeremiah 
Thatcher,  for  one,  is  glad  ye've  come.  Tell  us  some 
more,  will  ye }  " 


it 


r^ 


78 


TPyO   YOLXC   /'ATKfOTS. 


Thus  bidden,  Jairus  briefly  related  the  stoiy  of 
his  adventures,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  finished, 
another  of  the  men  said,  "Jeremiah,  ye'd  better  take 
him  right  up  to  the  general  and   let  him  tell  his 

story." 

"  I'll  take  him,  never  you  fear,  Godlove  Brown ; 
but  I'm  not  so  onhuman  as  to  do  it  afore  I've  cared 
for  this  man  what's  fallen  among  thieves,  — no,  I 
mean  what's  fallen  out  from  'em.  I'll  feed  him  first, 
and  then  take  him  up  to  the  general." 

Some  food  was  given  the  half-famished  boy,  and, 
plain  though  it  was,  Jairus  thought  he  never  had 
tasted  anything  so  good.  By  the  time  he  had 
eaten,  the  dawn  was  beginning  to  appear  in  the 
east,  and  he  could  discern  the  faces  of  the  men  in 
the  company.  There  were  five  in  the  boat  with  him, 
and  their  rough  and  rugged  faces  were  beaming  upon 
him  with  an  expression  of  sympathy  mingled  with 
that  of  their  interest. 

"  I'm  ready  to  go  now,"  said  Jairus,  greatly  re- 
freshed.    "  The  sooner  I  go,  the  better  for  me." 

"  I'll  take  ye,  young  man,"  said  Jeremiah,  whom 
Jairus  perceived  to  be  a  man  about  forty-five  years 

of  age. 

He  was  tall  and  thin,  but  the  lad  could  easily 
perceive  that  he  was  possessed  of  great  strength. 
There  was  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  however,  that 
betrayed  his  good  heart,  and  Jairus  was  satisfied 
that  he  would  only  receive  aid  from  him. 

"Step  into  this  skiff,  kind  sir,"  continued  Jere- 


.  in(WiiliMateiiiiiM1g-M 


iiiiiuiui?in«iie.a^imnfia 


WITHIN  THE  FORT. 


70 


the  stoiy  of 
ad  finished, 
I  better  take 
lim  tell  his 

ove  Brown; 
e  I've  cared 
ves,  —  no,  I 
ed  him  first, 

ed  boy,  and, 
;  never  had 
me  he  had 
)pear  in  the 
the  men  in 
)at  with  him, 
naming  upon 
ningled  with 

1,  greatly  re- 
for  me." 
;miah,  whom 
'ty-five  years 

could  easily 
eat  strength, 
owever,  that 
was  satisfied 
n. 
itinued  Jere- 


miah, "and  we'll  find  Gen'ral  St.  Clair  afore  he's  had 
time  to  break  his  fast." 

Jairus  stepped  into  the  skiff  obediently,  and  took 
his  seat  in  the  stern  as  Jeremiah  grasped  the  oars 
and  began  to  row  towards  the  shore. 

What  a  relief  it  was  to  find  himself  with  friends ! 
The  weary  boy  felt  almost  strong  again,  and  his 
animation  became  at  once  apparent  to  his  com- 
panion, who  looked  at  him  in  a  kindly  manner,  as 
he  rowed  on, 

"  Is  General  St.  Clair  in  command  of  Ticon- 
deroga } "  inquired  Jairus.  "  I  thought  that  Gen- 
eral Schuyler  was  there.  But  then  I  lived  so  far 
away,  I  never  heard  what  was  going  on." 

"  Yes,  sir,  Gen'ral  St.  Clair's  the  man.  General 
Schuyler's  so-called  friends  wanted  that  little  pop- 
injay Gates  to  take  hold  here,  but  he's  too  big  a 
man.  I  hev  a  dim  suspicion  as  how  Gates's  nether 
garments  pinch  him  a  bit.  Mebbe  you've  heard 
tell  of  sich  folks  afore  ? " 

Jairus  smiled  as  he  replied :  "  I  guess  so,  but  has 
General  St.  Clair  got  men  enough  to  make  a  stand 
against  Burgoyne?  There  must  be  eight  or  ten 
thousand  men  with  him." 

"  I  guess  so,"  replied  Jeremiah,  resting  on  his 
oars.  "  Now  afore  I  go  any  farther,  I  want  ye  to 
tell  me  who  ye  be.  Who  are  ye,  anyway .?  I  guess 
yer  all  right,  but  speak  out,  my  son." 

"  My  name's  Jairus  Goodwin,  and  I  went  in  on  the 
west  side  o'  the  lake  with  my  mother  and  my  brother 


(«'-i**?iStfAt,.i:  *»*SSS$JK  ■■  ;--~5--:i 


'•■imgmgmmmsi^m 


80 


TiyO    VOUXa  PATRIOTS. 


after  my  father  died  a  few  years  ago  on  the  other 
shore  of  the  lake." 

"  Goodwin !  Goodwin !  Ye  don't  say  so !  Be  ye 
any  relation  to  Bartholomew  Goodwin,  what  I  used 
to  know  up  among  the  green  hills  ? " 

"  He  was  my  father,"  replied  Jairus  quietly. 

"Yer  father!  Ye  don't  say  so!  Why,  I  knew 
him  better  nor  a  book.  Yes,  a  big  sight  better  nor 
I  knew  any  'oook,"  repeated  the  oarsman,  with  a 
smile.  "  Why,  I  used  to  play  with  your  pa,  then. 
I  heard  as  how  he  had  died.  Yes,  and  didn'^ 
hear  as  how  his  brother  up  at  St.  John's  had  L.  a 
a    skinned    the    family    out   o'    all    their    belong- 

mgs  !^ 

"Yes,"  replied  Jairus  simply.  He  had  no 
thought  of  going  into  the  details  of  his  family 
history  with  the  inquisitive  man  before  him. 

"Jest  as  I  cacalated,"  said  Jeremiah  gleefully. 
"  Jest  ezactly  as  I  cacalated.  I  might  a  known  it 
when  I  first  saw  ye.     Ye've  got  yer  pa's  nose  and 

eyes."  .  , 

Jairus  only  smiled  by  way  of  reply,  and  Jeremiah 
resumed  his  work  at  the  oars.  "  Now  that  I  know 
who  ye  be,  I  don't  mind  talkin'.  Yes,  I  guess  St. 
Clair's  enough  fer  Burgoyne,  seein'  as  old  Ty's  a 
pretty  strong  place.  Pretty  strong,  ye  know. 
We've  got  watch-boats  out  all  the  time,  and  we've 
got  a  lot  o'  brush  and  stufif  fixed  fer  the  Britishers 
to  travel  over  when  they  come  along  here.  Still, 
St.  Clair  found  only  about  two  thousand  men  in  the 


WITHIN    Till:    hOKT. 


8i 


in  the  other 

so !     Be  ye 
what  I  used 

[uietly. 

^/^hy,  I  knew 
bt  better  nor 
iman,  with  a 
3ur  pa,  then, 
and  didn'+  ^ 
n's  had  k  a 
;heir    belong- 

He  had  no 
)f  his  family 
I  him. 

iah   gleefully.' 
t  a  known  it 
Da's  nose  and 

and  Jeremiah 
V  that  I  know 
IS,  I  guess  St. 
as  old  Ty's  a 
ig,  ye  know, 
me,  and  we've 
the  Britishers 
g  here.  Still, 
nd  men  in  the 


fort  when  he  first  came.  He  could  have  je^t  as 
many  as  Burgoyne's  got,  only  there  wasn't  stuff 
enough  here  to  feed  so  many." 

"  Why  doesn't  Congress  furnish  supplies  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that's  somcthin'  no  son  o'  woman  can  tell. 
It's  reported  as  how  they  didn't  believe  the  British 
was  a  comin'  down  this  way  till  we  heard  Burgoyne 
had  started  out  from  Quebec.  They  thought  they'd 
come  along  down  the  coast  and  make  trouble  fer 
.the  coast  towns,  ye  see,  sci  they  tried  to  fix  them  up 
a  bit.  But  bless  yer  heart,  the  fust  thing  we  knew 
Burgoyne  had  started  out  and  we  wasn't  ready. 
Still,  I  guess  old  Ty  can  hold  her  own.  Then  over 
at  Independence  there's  artillery  and  batteries  and 
things,  and  that's  better  fixed  up  with  men  and  pro- 
visions than  old  Ty  is.  Yes,  sir,  you  can  rest  yer 
boots  on  Mount  Independence  every  time.  I'll 
soon  have  ye  up  to  the  general's  quarters  now, 
though  I  don't  b'lieve  ye've  brought  much  he 
didn't  know  afore." 

"  I  wish  I'd  gone  across  the  lake  to  my  mother, 
then,"  said  Jairiis  slowly. 

"  What's  that  about  yer  ma  => "  said  Jeremiah,  in- 
terested at  once. 

Jairus  repeated  the  story  of  the  manner  in  which 
he  and  his  brother  had  left  home,  and  by  the  time 
he  had  finished,  they  had  left  their  skiff  and  arrived 
under  the  walls  of  the  old  fort. 

Jeremiah  had  only  whistled  in  reply  to  Jairus's 
story,  and  if  the  lad  had  observed  him  closely  he 


83 


r/Kt;  Youxa  patriots. 


would  have  seen  that  his  companion  was  unusually 
thoujrhtful. 

His  own  attention,  however,  was  soon  drawn  to 
the  fort  into  which  an  entrance  was  readily  gained, 
and  both  jainis  and  the  soldier  were  conducted  to 
the  quarters  of  (li-neral  St.  Clair. 

It  seemed  to  Jairus  as  if  no  power  on  earth  could 
shake  the  walls  of  tin-  old  fort.  It  was  the  first 
time  he  had  ever  been  within  such  a  place,  and  he 
naturally  was  greatly  impressed  by  all  he  saw.  In- 
deed, his  hopes  began  to  rise  that  even  the  mighty 
army  of  John  Burgoyne  might  not  be  able  to  do 
much  against  such  a  strongly  fortified  place  as 
Ticonderoga  was. 

His  attentioti,  however,  was  soon  withdrawn 
from  the  garrison  to  the  general  himself,  into  whose 
presence  they  were  soon  admitted.  The  com- 
mander plainly  showed  his  Scotch  ancestry  in  his 
speech,  and  his  face  also  betrayed  his  original 
nationality.  He  was  about  forty-three  years  of  age 
at  this  time,  and  h^d  seen  active  service  under 
Wolfe,  and  later  in  January,  1776,  he  had  been 
made  a  colonel  in  the  Continental  army. 

In  August  of  that  same  year  he  had  been  pro- 
moted, and  made  a  brigadier-general,  and  in  that 
capacity  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  battles  of 
Trenton  and  Princeton.  In  February,  1777,  he 
was  made  a  major-general,  and  in  June  had  taken 
command  of  Fort  Ticonderoga  by  the  order  of 
General   Philip  Schuyler. 


i  unusually 


n  drawn  to 
dily  gained, 
inducted  to 

earth  could 
as  the  first 
lace,  and  he 
e  saw.  In- 
the  mighty 
able  to  do 
:d   place  as 

withdrawn 
:,  into  whose 

The  com- 
:estry  in  his 
his  original 
years  of  age 
rvice  under 
e  had  been 

r 

id  been  pro- 
and  in  that 
le  battles  of 
•y,  1777,  he 
e  had  taken 
:he   order  of 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


I^otDgraphk) 

Sdenoes 

Corporation 


23  WBT  MAM  STRHT 

VlfaSTIR,N.Y.  14SM 
(716)  172-4503 


If 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/iCIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Instituta  for  Hiatorical  Microraproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  da  microraproductiona  hiatoriquaa 


1 


J 


Willi  IN  THE  FOUT. 


83 


Jeremiah  did  the  most  of  the  talking  as  he  and 
Jairus  stood  before  the  commander.  General  St. 
Clair  listened  attentively,  and  after  explaining  that 
the  most  of  the  information  which  Jairus  brought 
he  possessed  already,  he  turned  to  the  embarrassed 
boy  and  began  to  ask  him  questions. 

"  Do  you  know  how  many  British  troops  are  in 
General  Burgoyne's  army .?  " 

"  The  report  in  the  camp  was   that  there  were 
three  thousand  sevc)i  hundred  and  twenty-four." 
"  How  many  Germans  were  there } " 
"  I  can't  say  positively,  but  one  of  the  lieutenants 
told  me  there  were  three  thousand  and  sixteen." 

"  I  fancy  there  are  a  good  many  Tories  and  irreg- 
ulars also .'' " 
"  Yes,  and  lots  of  Indians." 

General  St.  Clair's  face  took  on  a  scowl  at  the 
words,  but  he  only  said :  "  I'm  glad  you  have  brought 
me  this  information.  It  serves  to  confirm  the  re- 
ports our  scouts  have  brought  in.  Where  was  it 
you  left  the  British  .>" 

"  It  was  near  the  falls  of  the  Bouquet." 
"That,  also,  is  what   I  have   learned  from  th3 
scouts.     You'll  take  a  place  in  our  ranks,  young 


man 


"  Yes.  But  I  should  like  very  much  to  go  back 
home  and  look  up  my  mother.  I  think  I  can  be 
back  before  two  days  have  passed." 

"  I  see  no  objection  to  that.  Be  sure  you  come 
back." 


MBeaaMffiaaiiSBg^siaBBjB 


84 


TIVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


"  If  there's  no  objection,  I'd  like  to  go  along  with 
him,  general,"  interposed  Jeremiah.  "  He's  the  son 
of  an  old  friend  and  I'd  like  very  much  to  help  him. 
Besides,  I'll  see  that  he's  back  in  camp  on  time." 

"  That  can  be  arranged,"  said  the  general,  and 
ihey  left  his  quarters  at  once. 

"  Neovv  ye'U  have  to  take  a  little  nap,  Jairus, 
afore  we  go.  Besides,  we  don't  want  to  start  till 
night.     Come  along  with  me  and  I'll  fix  ye  out." 

Jairus  hesitated,  so  eager  was  he  to  start  at  once, 
but  in  a  moment  he  kne  v  the  old  soldier  had 
spoken  truly  and  that  they  could  well  afford  to  put 
off  their  departure  till  night.  They  sought  Jere- 
miah's quarters  immediately,  and  soon  both  men 
were  asleep. 

It  was  dusk  when  Jairus  opened  his  eyes.  In  the 
dim  light  he  perceived  that  some  one  was  standing 
near  him.  At  first  he  could  not  determine  who  it 
was  or  where  he  was ;  but  as  he  heard  the  voice,  it 
all  came  back  to  him,  and  he  quickly  arose. 

"  There,  ye're  awake  at  last,  are  ye.?  It's  time  we 
was  a  goin'.  Ye're  a  goin'  to  have  company,  too. 
'Twon't  be  such  a  lonesome  trip  down  the  lake  as 
ye  had  comin'  up.  I've  got  it  all  fixed,  and  as  soon's 
ye've  had  suthin'  to  eat,  we'll  start." 

"  Who's  going  with  me }  Any  one  besides  you  ?  " 
asked  Jairus  quickly. 

"  Nary  a  one.  I'll  guess  I'll  be  enough  to  satisfy 
ye.     Come  on  and  get  yer  supj)cr." 

Jairus  arose  obediently  and  as  soon  as  he  had 


along  with 
e's  tlie  son 
I  help  him. 
1  time." 
ineral,  and 

ap,  Jairus, 
0  start  till 
ye  out." 
rt  at  once, 
oldier  had 
ford  to  put 
)ught  Jere- 
botk  men 

es.  In  the 
IS  standing 
nine  who  it 
he  voice,  it 
tse. 

:t's  time  we 
npany,  too. 
the  lake  as 
id  as  soon's 

sides  you  ?  " 

[h  to  satisfy 

as  he  had 


WITHIN  THE  FORT. 


8s 


eaten  the  food  the  kind-hearted  old  soldier  provided 
they  sought  the  shore  of  the  lake  and  embarked  in 
tiie  httle  canoe  in  which  Jairus  had  made  his  voy- 
age on  the  preceding  day. 

All  night  long  they  toiled  on,  Jeremiah  paddling 
most  of   the  way  and  only  permitting  his  young 
companion  to  take  brief   turns  with  him.     "Ye've 
had  enough  for  one  mortal  man,  I  should  think  " 
was  all  the  remark  he  would  make  in  explanation. ' 
I  he  sun  had  only  been  two  hours  above  the  hori- 
zon when  they  landed,  and  after  carefully  concealing 
the  canoe  they  began  to  make  their  way  towards 
the  place  where  Jairus's  home  had  been.     The  boy 
was  trembling  in  his  eagerness  as  they  walked  on 
together.     Soon   he  would   see   his  mother.     Her 
fears  would  be  relieved,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  pro- 
vided for  her  welfare,  he  would  return  to  Ticonder- 
oga  and  rejoin  the  army;  for  he  was  determined  now 
to  enter  the  strufrrle. 

At  last  they  arrived  at  the  place  from  which  thev 
could  look  down  upon  the  house,  but  a  cry  of  dis- 
may escaped  the  lips  of  Jairus  as  they  gained  the 
point.  The  house  had  disappeared  and  only  ashes 
marked  the  spot  where  it  had  been. 


-iiiniBiimi •mmm. 


M,._ii,  U.I.,  ,^LnllJ^•!,j^^^\)m-^i'l^l.Mf'  ' 


CHAPTER   VUl. 

JEREMIAH    INVESTIGATES. 

For  a  moment  Jcirus  could  hardly  believe  that 
he  was  not  dreaming  as  he  looked  at  the  s.ght 
before  him.    The  trees  and  bushes  about  h.s  home 
were  standing  just  as  they  had  been  two  days  brfore 
The  water  from  the  never-failing  spnng  was  trrckhng 
,:Z  the  hillside;  the  birds  -re  mttmg  about  from 
bough  to  bough  and  filling  the  a,r  with  the.r  songs. 
All  things  apparently  were  just  as  they  had  been 
when  he  and  his  two  companions  had  started  on 
he  "search  for  the  panther's  mate  all  save  the  h  tie 
ouse  of  logs  which  had  been  his  home,  and  that  of 
ir  motherland  brother,  for  the  past  three  years. 
But  what  a  difference  the  loss  of  that  m^de! 

He  noted  that  in  one  or  two  places  l.ttle  curls  of 
smoke  were  still  rising  from  the  ashes  showmg  that 
Tehouse  could  not  have  been  burned  many  hours 
Wore  Here  and  there  little  clouds  or  edd.es  of 
^hes  were  caught  up  by  the  morning  breeze  and 

^hMed  about  for  a  moment  -<■*!-- ^/"PftTrs 
more  into  the  mass.  Almost  nothmg  of  the  timbers 
Tmained.  except  *at  here  and  there  a  few  p.eces  of 

86 


JEREMIAH  tXl'RSrrCA  TES. 


B? 


believe  that 

at  the  sight 
3Ut  his  home 
3  days  before; 

was  trickling 
ig  about  from 
h  their  songs, 
hey  had  been 
ad  started  on 

save  the  little 
le,  and  that  of 
t  three  years. 

made! 

5  little  curls  of 
5,  showing  that 
;d  many  hours 
is  or  eddies  of 
ng  breeze  and 
1  dropped  once 
r  of  the  timbers 

a  few  pieces  of 


charrt'fl  wood  could  be  seen,  but  even  they  were 
almost  concealed  from  sight  by  heaps  and  piles  of 
ashes. 

A  low  cry  escaped  from  the  startled  boy's  lips  as, 
recalled  to  himself,  he  darted  forward  and  began  to 
examine  the  ground  about  the  ruins,  looking  for  some- 
thing  which  might  indicate  whether  his  mother  had 
fled,  or  had  perished  in  the  downfall  of  her  home. 

He  had  gone  far  in  advance  of  his  companion  as 
they  had  drawn  near  the  familiar  place,  and  in  his 
eagerness  to  be  the  first  to  greet  his  mother  and 
relieve  her  from  the  fears  and  anxiety  which  he 
knew  she  must  have  for  her  absent  boys,  he  had 
almost  forgotten  that  Jeremiah  was  with  him. 

He  was  reminded  of  the  fact  that  he  was  not 
alone,  however,  by  the  startled  exclamation  of  the 
old  soldier  as  he  hastened  up  the  hillside  and 
stopped  in  surprise  as  he,  too,  saw  the  desolate 
scene  before  him. 

"Gum!"  said  Jeremiah.  "Gum"  was  the  one 
word  he  indulged  himself  in  when  language  failed 
to  express  his  sentiments.  "  Gum !  Jairus,  ye  don't 
mean  to  say  this  was  where  ye  lived,  do  ye  ? " 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  sadly  troubled  boy.  "  Two 
days  ago  I  left  mother  here,  and  the  house  was  all 
right.  Now  look  at  it !  Look  at  it !  The  house  is 
gone  and  I  don't  know  whether  mother  was  burned 
up  in  it,  or  whether  she's  been  killed  and  scalped  by 
the  Indians  or  carried  away  by  some  of  the  British. 
Help  me,  Jeremiah !     Oh,  mother !  "  and  the  heart- 


NHiiiiai 


8ft 


71(^0   YOl'Nd  PATh'lOTS. 


broken  boy  could  not  check  the  tears  that  began  to 
pour  down  his  face. 

"We'll  look  about  and  see  what  we  can  find,"  re- 
plied Jeremiah.  "  I  never  believed  'twas  a  very  good 
thing  to  give  up  ev'ry thing  afore  ye  had  to.  The 
house  is  gone,  that's  a  fact  what  none  can  dispute, 
but  as  fer  yer  ma,  that's  another  matter  entirely." 

Jeremiah,  who  was  himself  almost  as  keen  as  an 
Indian  in  his  skill  in  woodcraft,  dropped  imme- 
diately upon  his  hands  and  knees,  and  began  to 
examine  the  ground  about  the  place. 

"  Ye'd  better  do  jest  as  I'm  a  doin',  Jairus. 
We'll  make  a  circle,  or  a  '  detoar '  as  they  say  in  the 
fort.  Ye  go  reound  one  way,  and  I'll  go  reound  the 
other,  and  when  we  meet  we'll  begin  to  compare 
notes." 

Jairus  immediately  acted  upon  the  suggestion, 
and  upon  his  hands  and  knees  began  to  crawl  slowly 
around  the  place.  He  examined  every  spot  of 
ground  in  his  pathway,  turning  up  the  grass  blades 
and  striving  to  discover  some  trace  of  visitors,  and 
something  which  might  indicate  how  many  there 
had  been  of  them  and  in  which  direction  they  had 
gone  when  they  had  departed. 

There  were  moments  when  his  eyes  were  so 
blurred  that  he  could  not  see  the  ground  before 
him,  and  he  was  compelled  to  wait  and  go  over  the 
same  place  again.  Then,  as  the  picture  of  the 
sufferings  of  his  mother  rose  before  him  and  he 
thought   of   the  panther  or  of    possible   redcoats 


JI'.REMIAH  IXVFSriGA  TF.S. 


89 


at  began  to 

\n  find,"  re- 
a  very  good 
d  to.  The 
:an  dispute, 
2r  entirely." 
i  keen  as  an 
Dped  imme- 
id  began  to 

oin',  Jairus. 
y  say  in  the 
D  reound  the 
to  compare 

suggestion, 
crawl  slowly 
ery  spot  of 
grass  blades 
visitors,  and 
many  there 
on  they  had 

res  were  so 
ound  before 
go  over  the 
:ture  of  the 
him  and  he 
t)le   redcoats 


who  might  have  fired  the  house  and  carrietl  her 
away  with  them,  his  heart  would  be  bitter  and 
hard,  and  the  first  impulse  in  his  thoughts  was  to 
start  straight  for  the  camp  of  Burgoyne  and  de- 
mand to  know  what  had  become  of  her,  or  seek  her 
release  if  she  were  a  captive  there. 

He  said  nothing,  however,  but  worked  on  slowly 
and  patiently  and  after  a  little  time  came  face  to 
face  with  Jeremiah,  who  also  was  on  his  hands  and 
knees.  One  glance  at  him,  however,  revealed  his 
lack  of  success. 

"Did  ye  find  anything,  Jairus.?"  inquired  Jere- 
miah, looking  at  him,  as  the  troubled  boy  thought, 
with  unusual  tenderness. 

"  Not  a  thing.  But  I've  been  thinking  that  pos- 
sibly somebody  might  be  hiding  here  and  expecting 
we  would  return,  and  wing  us  as  they  would  a 
duck  on  the  lake.  It  isn't  fair  nor  right  to  keep  you 
here,  Jeremiah ;  for  some  one  may  pick  you  off  any 
minute." 

"  Naw,  I  guess  not,"  replied  the  soldier,  glancing 
keenly  about  him  nevertheless  as  he  spoke.  "  Naw, 
I  guess  not.  I  thought  o'  that  very  thing,  but  I 
took  a  good  look  around  afore  I  dropped  on  r/ 
knees.  Mebbe  when  they  saw  Jeremiah  in  thai 
position,  it  made  'em  start  off,  they  was  so  scared ; 
but  I  guess  there  isn't  anybody  a  watchin'  of  us.' 
Let's  go  reound  agin.  Mebbe  you'll  find  somethin' 
on  my  side  or  I'll  find  somethin'  on  yours.  Let's 
try  it,  anyway.     There's  nothin*  like  trj^in'." 


OO 


rm'  Yorxc  rtrh'ioTs. 


\.Min  Iho  two  men  went  carefully  anuind  llie 
circle,  but  when  they  met  it  was  evident  that  neither 
had  made  any  discovery,  and  Jairus  for  a  moment 
could  hardly  trust  himself  to  speak. 

"  We'll  find  somethin'.  never  ye  fear.  Jairus,  said 
Jeremiah  consolingly.  "  l^'ry  l^n(n  that  can  be 
tied  can  be  ontied,  that's  the  motto  what  I  ve  always 
jronc  on.  Neow  let's  draw  back  here  out  o'  the  sight 
o'  any  callers  what  might  happen  along,  and  talk  it 
over."  and  leading  the  way  he  and  his  companion 
soon  seated  themselves  on  the  ground  within  the 
shelter  of  the  adjacent  forest. 

"  Neow  let's  look  over  the  facts  o'  the  case,  h  irst 
of  all.  the  house  is  burned  up.  That's  plain  to  be 
seen,  and  there  isn't  a  bit  o'  difference  in  opinion 
about  that,  is  there  ? " 

Jairus  shook  his  head,  but  made  no  other  reply. 
"  Fact  number  two  is  that  it  must  a  got  afire. 
Question  — did  she  set  it  afire,  or  did  somebody  do 

it  for  her  ?  "  . 

Still  Jairus  was  silent,  and  Jeremiah,  speaking  as 
if  his  companion  had  replied  as  he  desired  to  his 
questions,  went  on  with  his  investigation. 

"Answer  first -she  probably  didnt  set  it  afire. 
Neow,  if  she  didn't  set  it  afire,  then  it's  jest  as  plain 
as  the  nose  on  my  face  somebody  else  did  it  for  her. 
"It  might  have  caught  fire,"  suggested  Jairus. 
"  Yes,  it  might,  and  probably  it  did,  but  it  was  set 
afire  first,  I  tell  ye;  log  houses  don't  have  a  habit 
of  getting  on  fire  all  by  themselves  -  leastwise  not 


J  I-  Nh.Ml.  Ill  IXVES  TlUA  TEH. 


91 


anuind  tbo 
I  thai  neitlur 
)r  a  moment 

,  Jairus,"  said 
that  can  be 
at  I've  always 
ut  o'  the  sijj[ht 
jg,  and  talk  it 
lis  companion 
nd  within  the 

le  case.  First 
t's  plain  to  be 
»ce  in  opinion 

1  other  reply. 
ist  a  got  afire. 
\  somebody  do 

ih,  speaking  as 
desired  to  his 
tion. 

in't  set  it  afire, 
it's  jest  as  plain 
e  did  it  for  her." 
ssted  Jairus. 
d,  but  it  was  set 
I't  have  a  habit 
—  leastwise  not 


at  this  timi-  o'  year.  Ncovv  let's  proceed.  Question 
number  three -did  she  have  any  enemies  who 
would  be  likely  to  do  the  job  for  her?  Any  neigh- 
bors now,  or  redskins,  that  was  agin  her.? " 

"  She  always  fed  the  Indians  when  they  came  to 
the  door.  The  only  enemy  she  had  was  my  uncle. 
But  he  lives  away  up  at  St.  John's  and  it  isn't  very 
probable  he  had  anything  to  do  with  it." 

"  Reasonable,  my  son,  reasonable.  I  know  that 
story  and  I  know  the  man.  He's  got  a  disposition 
to  do  jest  sech  things,  but  I  don't  b'lieve  he's  any- 
where  near.  There's  too  many  soldiers  and  too 
much  likelihood  of  somebody  gettin'  hurt  for  him  to 
be  around  here.  No,  he'd  rather  scare  helpless 
widows  and  orphins  than  be  anywhere  near  men. 
Jairus,  was  it  forenoon  or  afternoon  when  you  boys 
started  after  that  catamount }  " 
"  Forenoon.     Why  ?  " 

"  Never  mind  the  whys  and  wherefores  now.  I'm 
a  gettin'  after  facts;  that's  all  I  want  jest  at  present. 
What  time  did  ye  have  dinner?  " 

"  We  didn't  come  home  to  dinner  at  all  that  day 
I  thought  I  told  you." 

"  Ye  did.    Ye  did.     But  what  time  did  ye  usually 
have  dinner?     That's  what  I  mean." 
"  About  noon." 

"Jestaslca'c'lated.  Jestezactly.  Neow  I  should 
figger  that  them  ashes  must  'a'  been  smokin'  for 
a  good  twenty-four  hour.  Don't  they  look  so  to 
ye  ? " 


„3  Tit'o  yorx<;  /•.m-/ors. 

"  Yes."  replied  jairu^,  sonKwh.it  mystified  by  his 
((.mpanion's  manner.     "  Yes,  I  «uess  so." 

"  Well,  now,  I  tell  ye.  I'd  stake  my  «un  against 
a  barrel  stave  that  yer  mother  waited  for  ye  to  come 
home  to  dinner  and  ye  didn't  come.  Prob'Iy  she 
waited  and  waited,  and  then  she  began  to  think 
about  catamounts  and  things,  and  finally  she  couldn  t 
stand  it  a  minute  longer,  and  by  the  time  it  began  to 
get  dark  she  started  out  to  see  what  had  become  of 
her  babies.  She  didn't  find  'em,  and  what's  more, 
she  didn't  find  somethin'  else  besides." 

"  What?  "  inquired  Jairus  eagerly;  for  he  was  all 

interest  now. 

"  Her  way.  She  got  lost  or  hid  from  the  redskins 
somewhere  in  the  woods.  Leastwise,  I  don't  think 
she  was  here  when  the  house  took  afire." 

"  Why  not  ? "  ,      •  j 

"'Cause  I've  been  clear  round  the  clearing  and 
there  isn't  a  trace  of  a  woman's  foot  anywhere  to  be 
seen  So,  ye  see,  she  didn't  run  out  to  the  spring 
as  she  would  'a'  done  for  water  if  the  house  got  afire 
when  she  was  here  alone;  and  she  wasn't  carried 
away,  either,  for  there  isn't  a  track  on  the  ground  to 

show  that."  ^ 

"Maybe   she  was  burned  up  inside  the  house. 

That  might  happen."  , 

"  No,  it  couldn't,  either.  She  wouldn  t  stay  inside 
o'  even  her  own  house  to  get  burned  up|  would  she  ? 
Leastwise,  that  isn't  what  /  think  Jairys  Goodwin's 
ma  would  do." 


aifu.'d  l)y  Ills 


). 


gun  against 
>r  yc  to  come 
Prob'Iy  she 
;an  to  think 
y  she  couldn't 
ne  it  began  to 
ad  become  of 

what's  more, 

for  he  was  all 

1  the  redskins 
,  I  don't  think 
re. 

I  clearing  and 
nywhere  to  be 

to  the  spring 
louse  got  afire 
wasn't  carried 

the  ground  to 

ide  the  house. 

dn't  stay  inside 
upl  would  she  ? 
irys  Goodwin's 


JEREMIAH  ISVKSriUA  TtS. 


93 


"Then  you  think  we'd  better  go  down  by  the 
sheep-pen  and  see  what  wc  can  find  there  ? "  said 
Jairus  eagerly,  leaping  to  his  feet  as  he  spoke,  and 
preparing  to  start  immediately. 

"  That's  jest  what  I  think  we'd  better  do,"  replied 
Jeremiah,  at  once  arising  and  joining  the  eager  boy. 
He  did  not  allude  to  any  of  the  unexpressed  fears 
in  his  own  heart;  for  he  was  doing  his  utmost  to 
cheer  the  almost  heart-broken  boy,  and  this  one 
possibility  that  lay  before  them  he  was  more  than 
eager  to  test. 

Jairus,  in  his  eagerness,  ran  ahead  of  his  com- 
panion, and  soon  the  soldier  was  left  at  a  consider- 
able distance  behind.  They  had  covered  about 
half  the  distance  to  the  sheep-pen  when  Jeremiah 
suddenly  noticed  something  near  the  path.  He 
stopped;  his  face  clouded,  and  in  a  moment  he 
uttered  a  low  call  that  soon  brought  Jairus  back 
to  his  side. 

"  What  is  it,  Jeremiah }  Have  you  heard  some- 
thing.?" whispered  Jairus. 

"No,  but  I've  seen  somethin'.  What's  that  in 
them  bushes  there.?" 

Jairus  looked  quickly  at  the  place  his  companion 
indicated,  and,  with  one  quick  exclamation,  rushed 
in  and  brought  out  a  faded  sunbonnet.  "  That's 
mother's !  That's  mother's  !  "  he  cried.  "  She  had 
it  on  the  very  morning  we  left  home.  She  always 
wore  it  when  she  went  out-doors.  But,  oh,  Jere- 
miah!  she's  dead.     I  know  she's  dead.     Whoever 


iHM 


f 


94 


TPVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


burned  the  house  took  her,  and  probably  threw  that 
away  when  they  started  to  leave." 

»  Naw,  that's  not  it,  my  boy,"  said  Jeremiah,  striv- 
ing to  console  the  sobbing  lad.     "  Naw.  not  a  bit  of 
it     She  was  runnin',  and  lost  it  off  in  the  bushes. 
Mebbe  she  was  comin'  home  and  saw  somebody 
around  the  house,  and  she  was  in  such  a  huriy  she 
never  stopped  to  pick  it  up  when  she  lost  it  off  her 
head.     Come  on,  we'll  take  a  peep  at  the  bushes 
and  mebbe  they'll  tell  us  somethin'  we  don't  know. 
For  a  half-hour  they  searched  in  the  bushes,  but 
not  a  trace  of  the  missing  woman  could  they  find 
Not  a  twig  was  broken  or  out  of  place,  nor  could 
they  discover  anything  to  show  that  any  one  had 

passed  that  way.  ^^ 

"We'll  go  on  down  to  the  sheep-pen,  said  Jere- 
miah at  last,  "  and  see  what  we  can  f^nd  there;  "  and 
without  a  further  word  being  spoken  the  two  men 
started  on  again  and  soon  came  to  the  little  clearing 
on  the  border  of  which  stood  the  sheep-pen. 

It  was  unoccupied  now,  and  the  open  door  stocd 
just  as  the  Indians  had  left  it  when  they  led  out  the 
sheep  There  were  dark  spots  still  on  the  ground 
that  marked  the  places  where  the  slaughter  had 
occurred,  but  everything  else  appeared  to  be  just  as 
lairus  had  known  it  before  that  fatal  morjiing. 

"We'll  look  around  here  a  bit,"  said  Jeremiah 
consolingly.  "  Perhaps  we'll  strike  a  trail,  or  some- 
thin'  what'll  surprise  us." 

The  surprise  came  sooner  than  he  expected;  tor 


m%mhi\«'-*i«»"«^'^ 


.iiiiiii liittiriWit-r— '" 


ibly  threw  that 

[eremiah,  striv- 
LW,  not  a  bit  of 
in  the  bushes, 
saw  somebody 
:h  a  hurry  she 
;  lost  it  off  her 
at  the  bushes 
fe  don't  know." 
the  bushes,  but 
ould  they  find, 
lace,  nor  could 
it  any  one  had 

pen,"  said  Jere- 
ind  there ;  "  and 
;n  the  two  men 
»e  little  clearing 
eep-pen. 
»pen  door  stood 
they  led  out  the 

on  the  ground 
;  slaughter  had 
red  to  be  just  as 
l1  morjiing. 
"  said  Jeremiah 

a  trail,  or  some- 
he  expected ;  for 


JEREMIAH  INVESTIGA  TES. 


95 


the  words  were  hardly  spoken  before  there  was  the 
sharp,  quick  report  of  a  rifle,  and  the  bullet  struck 
one  of  the  logs  of  the  sheep-pen  near  where  Jeremiah 
was  standing. 

"  Here,  come  in  here,"  said  Jairus  quickly,  and  the 
two  men  rushed  into  the  pen  and  hastily  drew  the 
rude  door  after  them. 

Then  peering  out  between  the  chinks  in  the  logs, 
Jairus  saw  a  little  cloud  of  smoke  high  up  in  the 
beech-tree,  and  he  knew  at  once  that  the  platform 
the  three  boys  had  made  there  was  occupied  again. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  RETURN  OF  DAVID  JONES. 

It  is  time  for  us  to  return  and  follow  the  fortunes 
of  Samuel,  whom  we  left  in  the  camp  of  Burgoynes 
army  near  the  falls  of  the  Bouquet,  at  the  time 
when  his  brother  and  David  Jones,  accompanied  by 
Wyandot  Panther,  had  started  to  cross  Lake  Cham- 
plain  on  their  errand  for  the  general.         ,      ,     ,    , 

For  a  time  the  young  prisoner -for  he  looked 
upon  himself  in  that  light,  although  he  was  sup- 
posedly among  the  militia  or  "irregulars  who  were 
lathering  constantly  and  in  great  numbers  at  the 
British  camp  -  wandered  about  the  place  and 
looked  with  eager  interest  at  what  was  going  on 

about  him.  j  u      u 

There  was  an  air  of  confidence  displayed  by  all, 
and  which  Samuel  feared  was  but  too  well  grounded. 
The  complete  equipments,  the  abundance  of  sup- 
plies and  provisions,  the  presence  of  Indians  in 
their  war-paint,  the  eagerness  of  the  men  to  be  led 
forward,  all  combined  to  render  Samuel  sorftewhat 
downcast,  troubled  as  he  was  by  the  absence  of  his 
brother,   and    by   his    increasing    anxiety   for    his 

mother. 

96 


L 


s. 

r  the  fortunes 
)f  Burgoyne's 
at  the  time 
:ompanied  by 
,  Lake  Cham- 

:or  he  looked 
he  was  sup- 
irs  "  who  were 
imbers  at  the 
\c  place  and 
was  going  on 

splayed  by  all, 
well  grounded, 
dance  of  sup- 
of  Indians  in 
men  to  be  led 
luel  sorftewhat 
absence  of  his 
nxiety   for    his 


THE  RETURN  OF  DAVID  JONES.  97 

He   knew  that  comparative   liberty  was   his,  so 
long  as   he   remained   within    the   lines.     No   one 
accosted  him  and  he  was  free  to  come  and  go  as  he 
chose;  but  when  he  thought  of  his  distant   home 
and  the  sorrow  of  his  mother,  and  how  she  must  be 
suffermg  m  her  fears  and  anxieties  by  this  time  he 
became  almost  desperate  and  there  were  wild  'im- 
pulses m  his  mind  to  rush  past  the  line  of  guards 
and  strive  to  make  his  way  home  again.     Calmer 
thoughts  prevailed,  however,  as  he  came  to  realize 
the  hopelessness  of  trying  to  escape  from  the  camp 
by  any  open  means. 

None  the  less  was  he  determined  to  leave  when 
the  opportunity  for  doing  so  should  present  itself 
but  he  at  last  decided  to  -wait  the  return  of  his 
brother,  and  perhaps  between  them  they  might  be 
able  to  devise  some  scheme  which  might  aid  them 

He  had  not  seen  Arthur  anywhere  in  the  camp 
that  mornmg.  He  thought  little  of  that  at  the  time, 
however,  but  when  the  noontime  came  and  still 
Arthur  did  not  appear,  he  began  to  be  puzzled  by 
his  continued  absence.  Not  that  he  cared  to  see 
him  on  his  own  account,  for  his  anger  at  his  cousin 
had  steadily  increased,  as  he  thought  how  all  the 
troubles  that  had  come  upon  himself  and  his  brother 
and  mother  were  to  be  traced  directly  to  his  cow- 
ardly  acts. 

He  found  no  one  among  the  soldiers  or  irregu- 
lars  whom  he  recognized,  and,  left  to  himself  'he 
tried  to  pass  the  time  as  best   he  could  until  his 


f 


98 


77KO    yOlWG  PATNIOTS. 


brother  should  return.  David  had  assured  him 
that  they  would  both  be  back  long  before  sunset 
and  he  knew  he  could  attempt  nothing  before  that 

'"riie  long  day  passed   slowly  and   as  the   night 
drew  near/neither  Arthur  nor  Jairus  put  in  appear- 
ance     Here  and  there  small  fires  were  kmdled  in 
the  camp,  the  soldiers  evidently,  under  the  strong 
confidence  of  the  leaders  in  their  own  success  hav- 
incr  been   given  a  freedom  which   under  ordinary 
circumstances  would  have  been  denied  them     After 
he  had  had  his  own  supper,  Samuel  wandered  again 
through  the  camp,  watching  with  curious  eyes  the 
contentment  and  confidence  of  the  red-coated  men. 
Son-s  could  be  heard  as  they  were  sung  by  ht  le 
.rroirps   of   soldiers,    who  lay   stretched   upon   the 
m-ound  in  the  cool  of  the  evening. 

One  of  these,  which  was  new  to  Samuel,  he 
thought  must  have  become  very  popular ;  for  he 
heard  it  in  no  less  than  four  different  places  and 
the  enthusiasm  with  which  it  was  voiced  clearly 
showed  the  confidence  of  the  singers:  — 

Ye  Yankees  who,  mole-like,  still  throw  up  the  earth. 
And  like  them,  to  your  follies  are  blind  from  your  birth ; 
Attempt  not  to  hold  British  troops  at  defiance, 
True  Hritons,  with  whom  you  pretend  an  alliance. 

Mistake  not ;  such  bloo<l  ne'er  runs  in  your  veins, 
•Tis  no  more  than  the  dregs,  the  lees,  or  the  drains : 
Ye  affect  to  talk  big  of  your  hourly  attacks ; 
Come  on  !  and  I'll  warrant  we'll  soon  see  your  backs. 


Ul'JlWM.'..l>JliW>W 


(. 


sured  him 
ore  sunset, 
t)efore  that 

the   night 

in  appear- 

kindled  in 

the  strong 

uccess,  hav- 

2r  ordinary 

lem.    After 

dered  again 

us  eyes  the 

coated  men. 

ng  by  little 

1   upon   the 

Samuel,  he 
ular ;  for  he 
:  places,  and 
)iced  clearly 


earth, 
your  birth ; 

e, 
ince.  • 

ireins, 
drains : 

ur  backs. 


THE  KETURX   OF  DAVID  JOXES.  99 

Such  threats  of  bravadoes  serve  only  to  warm 

i'he  true  British  hearts,  you  ne'er  can  alarm  ; 

The  Lion,  once  roused,  will  strike  such  a  terror, 

Shall  show  you,  poor  fools,  your  presumption  and  error. 

And  the  time  will  soon  come  when  your  whole  rebel  race 
Will  be  drove  (driven)  from  the  lands,  nor  dare  show  your  face  • 
Here's  a  health  to  great  George,  may  he  fully  determine 
io  root  from  the  earth  all  such  insolent  vermin. 

Shouts  of  applause  greeted  the  song,  and  Samuel, 
who  was  standing  back  within  the  shadows,  remained 
a  little  longer  as  he  saw  one  of  the  soldiers  pushed 
forward  by  his  companions,  and  after  an  apparent 
confusion  of  a  moment,  in  response  to  their  repeated 
calls,  begin  to  sing  alone :  — 

When  Congress  sent  great  Washington, 

All  clothed  in  power  and  breeches. 
To  meet  old  Britain's  warlike  sons, 

And  make  some  rebel  speeches ; 

'Twas  then  he  took  his  gloomy  way 

Astride  his  dapple  donkeys. 
And  travelled  well  both  night  and  day 

Until  he  reached  the  Yankees. 

Away  from  camp,  'bout  three  miles  off 

From  Lily  he  dismounted  ; 
His  sergeant  brushed  his  sunburnt  wig 

While  he  the  specie  counted. 

All  prinked  up  in  full  bag-wig ; 

The  shaking  notwithstanding. 
In  leather  tights,  oh,  glorious  sight ! 

He  reached  the  Yankee  landing. 


100 


77FC   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 

Full  many  a  child  went  into  camp, 

All  dressed  in  homespun  kersey, 
To  see  the  greatest  rebel  scamp 

That  ever  crossed  o'er  Jersey. 

The  rebel  clowns,  oh,  what  a  sight ! 

Too  awkward  was  their  figure ; 
•Twas  yonder  stood  a  pious  wight, 

And  here  and  there  a  nigger. 

Upon  a  stump  he  placed  (himselO. 

Great  Washington  did  he. 
And  through  the  nose  of  Lawyer  Close 

Proclaimed  great  Liberty, 

The  patriot  brave,  the  patriot  fair. 

From  fervor  had  grown  thinner, 
So  off  they  marched  with  patriot  zeal 

And  took  a  patriot  dinner. 

Renewed  laughter  and  applause  greeted  the 
efforts  of  the  singer,  and  there  were  loud  calls  tor 
another  song ;  but  Samuel,  discouraged  by  the  con- 
fidence and  boldness  he  saw  all  about  hini,  and 
feelincr  more  homesick  and  forlorn  than  ever  before 
in  his^hort  life,  soon  left  the  men  and  sought  the 
seclusion  of  his  own  tent  to  await  the  commg  of  his 

brother.  •  i  ,.    u«. 

His  feeling  of  disgust  at  many  of  the  sights  he 
had  seen  in  the  camp  had  not  left  him,  and  with  all 
his  soul  he  longed  to  leave  it  all  behind  him  and  be 
once  more  in  the  quiet  of  their  little  clearing  where 
they  had  troubled  none,  and  none,  until  the  preced- 
ing day,  had  ever  troubled  them. 


:  .-KiiMf^tiimLvmii'i  I'WiMwni  nm 


»W>i<!iWmwrrr*i  jviiiimftillW^ 


■[ili(«w:illlirniiir" 


rreeted  the 
ud  calls  for 
by  the  con- 
it  him,  and 
I  ever  before 
sought  the 
aming  of  his 

lie  sights  he 
and  with  all 
1  him  and  be 
earing  where 
1  the  preced- 


TIIE   KETUKX  OF  n.Wm  JOXF.S.  iqi 

He  c.uld  do  nothin.ir  before  Jairiis  returned,  and 
he  waited  patiently  for  his  coming.  He  wondered 
where  he  was  and  whether  any  accident  had  befallen 
h.m  As  the  minutes  dragged  on  and  the  silence 
.  was  broken  only  by  the  noises  of  the  surrounding 
camp,  he  began  to  feel  drowsy,  and  soon  his  head 
was  nodding  and  the  troubled  boy  became  uncon- 
scious. 

He  did  not  know  how  much  time  had  elapsed, 
when  he  was  aroused  by  the  presence  of  some  one 
m  the  tent.  Darkness  was  all  about  him.  and 
silence  rested  over  the  camp. 

His.  first  thought  was  of  his  brother,  and  in  a  low 
voice  he  called,  "  Jairus !  Jairus !     Is  that  vou  > " 
"  No,  it's  not  Jairus." 

"Oh,  it's  you,  Uavid,  is  it.?     I  didn't  recognize 
your  voice  at  first.     Where's  Jairus .? " 

"At  the  bottom  of  Lake  Champlain,  I  hope  with 
all  my  heart.  It's  where  he  deserves  to  be.  anyway 
whether  he  is  or  not." 

"  Why,  what's  the  trouble.?     What's  happened  to 
Jairus.?     Where   is   he.?"    Samuel  was  all  awake 
now  and  was  pouring  forth  his  questions  excitedly. 
"  I  don't  know  where  he  is,  but  I  know  what  he 
is.     He's  a  traitor.     I  never  thought  he  was  a  low- 
lived  Whig,  but  if  you  must  have  it,  why  I'll  tell 
you.     I  left  him  and  the  Panther  in  the  canoe  and 
told  them  to  paddle  down  the  shore  and  meet  me 
for  I  had  to  go  a  little  farther.     Well,  what  should 
that  young   reprobate  do,  but  get  a  drop  on  the 


103 


Tii'o  youxG  /•.r/A'/ors. 


Panther  and  take  the  canoe  away  from  him.     They 
had  quite  a  tussle,  and  I  suppose  Jairus  thinks  he 
left  the  Panther  for  dead.     He  hit  him  over  the 
head  with  the  paddle  and  the  redskin  sank  under 
the  water.     He  was  just  fooling  the  boy,  though ; 
for,  in  spite  of  the  hole  Jairus  made  in  his  head,  he 
knew  just  what  he  was  doing,  and  he  only  waited 
a  bit  before  he  came  to  the  surface  again,  and  saw 
the  young  man  making  off  as  if  all  of  the  Indians 
in  General  Burgoyne's  army  were  after  him.     And 
they  are  after  him,  too,  and  he'll  find  it  out  before 
long.     The  Panther's  got  his  blood  up  and  he  won't 
rest  until  he's  paid  off  Master  Jairus  Goodwin,  and 
with  interest." 

Samuel  was  listening  eagerly,  but  he  could  not 
see  his  companion's  face.  The  tones  of  his  voice, 
however,  showed  that  in  spite  of  his  apparent  rage, 
David  was  not  as  angry  as  one  who  did  not  know 
him  might  suppose. 

There  was  no  man  in  Burgoyne's  army  of  a 
kinder  heart,  and  while  he  was  devoted  to  the  cause 
of  the  king,  he  had  little  of  the  intense  bitterness 
that  many  of  the  men  on  either  side  displayed  in 
those  troublous  times. 

Aware  of  this,  Samuel  was,  perhaps,  not  so  keenly 
on  his  guard  as  he  might  have  been,  had  he  not 
known  something  of  the  character  of  David  Jones. 

"  Then  Jairus  has  got  away,  has  he? "  said  Samuel. 
"  Why  didn't  he  take  me,  too  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  left  you  here  for  me,  and  here  you'll  stay 


Till:    KI/I'INX   Ol    n.WII)  JOXI.S. 


ro3 


Ti.     They 
thinks  he 
over  the 
ink  under 
^',  though ; 
s  head,  he 
nly  waited 
1,  and  saw 
he  Indians 
lim.     And 
out  before 
id  he  won't 
odwin,  and 

could  not 
f  his  voice, 
larent  rage, 

1  not  know 

army  of   a 
:o  the  cause 

2  bitterness 
lisplayed  in 

at  so  keenly 
had  he  not 
ivid  Jones, 
iaid  Samuel. 

e  you'll  stay 


too,  or  my  name's  not  David  Jones.  I'm  going  to 
keep  an  eye  on  you  myself,  and  as  I've  just  had 
the  promise  of  being  made  a  lieutenant,  I  think  I 
can  watch  you  a  little.  Now  I'm  sorry  for  Jairus. 
Yes,  I'm  downright  sorry.  He's  made  a  big  mis- 
take. This  war  will  all  be  over  in  a  few  weeks,  and 
when  he  goes  back  home,  if  he's  ever  lucky  enough 
to  get  there,  he'll  find  the  king  looks  after  his  own. 
But  that  isn't  the  worst  of  it !  " 

"  What's  worse  ?  "  said  Samuel  quietly.  He  had 
hardly  realized  what  David  was  saying,  he  had  been 
so  elated  over  the  escape  of  his  brother.  He  was 
trying  to  conjecture  what  his  course  would  be. 

"  The  Panther's  worse.  He's  after  Jairus,  let  me 
tell  you,  and  it'll  go  hard  with  him  if  he  ever  catches 
him.  You'll  have  to  walk  a  chalk-line  here,  or 
they'll  think  you've  Whig  blood  in  your  veins,  too. 
You'll  have  to  be  careful  now,  if  you  ever  are." 

Samuel  made  no'reply.  He  realized  that  David 
was  speaking  truly,  and  his  own  outlook  was  not 
very  promising.  However,  he  had  all  of  a  younger 
brother's  confidence  in  an  older  one,  and  felt  that 
somehow  Jairus  would  be  able  to  help  him. 

Meanwhile,  he  quickly  realized  that  he  must  be 
very  careful  not  to  increase  suspicion  against  him- 
self, and  simply  wait  for  his  time  to  come,  too. 
That  it  would  come,  he  had  not  the  slightest  doubt. 
It  was  well  for  him  that  he  had  all  of  a  boy's  hope- 
fulness and  could  not  see  the  experiences  that  lay 
within  the  next  few  weeks. 


I04 


Tiro  Yovxc  r.iTRroTS. 


"Did  you  i;c't  many  of  the  irrc\c;iilars? "  he  in- 
quired, after  a  silenee  of  a  moment. 

"  We  did  that.  The  woods  are  just  full  of  them. 
I  found  out  a  good  deal  about  the  state  of  things  at 
Ty,  too.  The  Yankees  are  in  bad  shape.  Gates 
has  got  the  sulks.  St.  Clair  never  had  much  of 
any  brains,  and  Schuyler's  too  tender-hearted  to  do 
much  damage  anywhere.  I  shouldn't  be  surprised 
if  the  whole  thing  was  over  in  less  than  a  month. 
Just  as  soon  as  St.  Lcger  and  Sir  Henry  join  us, 
the  time  for  the  doxology  has  come.  Hut  it's  been 
a  pretty  good  day  for  me,  even  if  Jairus  did  play 
the  coward  and  step  out." 

"  Not  very  much  of  a  coward,  I  should  think, 
from  your  story  of  his  struggle  with  the  Panther." 

"  Not  that  kind  of  a  coward.  Oh,  Jairus  is  ready 
enough  to  stand  up  and  fight,  but  I  mean  his  pull- 
ing out  the  way  he  did.  Still,  I'm  going  to  be  a 
lieutenant  and  I'll  manage  to  bear  up  under  it,  I 
guess.  Just  as  soon  as  we're  on  the  march  again, 
I'm  to  have  the  place." 

"  I'm  glad  for  you.  Lieutenant  Jones,"  said  Samuel. 
No  one  could  fail  to  like  the  warm-hearted  young 
man,  who  was  always  ready  to  do  a  favor  for  an- 
other, and  never  appeared  to  think  of  himself. 

"That's  good  of  you,  Sam,"  replied  David. 
"You're  not  the  only  one  that'll  be  glad,  though. 
Every  one  of  my  five  brothers  is  in  the  army,  and 
Jonathan's  going  to  be  a  captain.  They're  as  proud 
of  me  as  if —  as  if  I  was  their  own  brother.     But 


MWi 


wmm 


i?"   he  in- 

lU  of  them. 
)f  things  at 
ipe.  Gates 
cl  much  of 
arted  to  do 
e  surprised 
n  a  month, 
nry  join  us, 
lit  it's  been 
is  did  play 

ould  think, 
e  Panther." 
rus  is  ready 
an  his  puli- 
ng to  be  a 
under  it,  I 
larch  again, 

iaid  Samuel, 
irted  young 
Ivor  for  an- 
imself. 
lied  David, 
lad,  though, 
e  army,  and 
^'re  as  proud 
•other.     But 


Tlir.   KETVKX  OF  OAy/n  JOXFS.  ,0- 

Janell  be  prouder  than  any.     Y„„  never  s.„.  Ja„e. 

"  No,  I  never  saw  Jane." 

"  Well,  she's  got  the  blackest  hair,  and  the  bright- 

vts,  Jane  11  be  proud  of  me  and  I  hope  she'll  never 
have  more  cause  to  feel  ashamed  of^me  than  si 

^amuel.     I  m  awfully  sorry.     If  he  ever  lives  to  iref 
back  mto  camp  he'll  be  in  trouble,  let  me  tell  ro"'' 

Why.  I  told   you  the  Panther  was  after  him 

fdlow  we  met  "'  ''""'  ^''^  ^^^'S'^^  '^^  first 

w  n      H.  ZVT  /'"•■  '^"'•"  '^''''  ^"-^hur  Good- 
win.    He  walked  along  with  us  and  I  told  him  ibonf 

iTtTir^  --y-     He  didn't  say  much  hen  t 
hes  hatched  up  a  scheme,  and  he  and  the  Panthe 
and  one  or  two  others   have  gone   bark  f? 
house   and   they're  going   to  iTfortim^^h^; 

tTol  "If  ^U'""  T'^  P"*  ''^^^^'  f-  that  place 
to  look  after  h.s  mother,  and  they'd  be  sure  to^et 

hmi,  and  I  guess  he's  more'n  ha^  right  too     Fm 

sorry  for  Jairus.     I  am,  indeed  "  "" 

"What.?     What's   that  you  say?"  said  S.n,     i 
exciterflv     «•  >a^*u  i     ,         ^'      ^^'"  oamuel 

Z^^?^'       ^^"'  ^""^   *h^   Panther   have  cone 
back  to  our  house  ? "  ^ 

wlT*"!,-!  Y*"^'  '  '^•^'  ^"^   ''"^  sorry  for  Jairus 
What  d,d   he  want  to  do  such  a  thing  for?      It 

passes  my  understanding,  I  must  confess  " 


■Mw-^vn 


io6 


-/■;;•.*  yofxa  I'MKIOTS. 


"  When  did  they  go  ?  " 

"  About  an  hour  ago."  .    .      ,  • 

The  conversation  ceased.  Samuel  perceived  in 
a  few  minutes  that  his  companion  was  asleep,  but 
the  hours  passed  and  no  sleep  came  to  him.  He 
was  thinking  of  a  little  log  house,  in  a  clearing 
only  a  few  miles  distant,  and  of  possible  tragedies 
that  would  be,  or  might  even  now  have  been,  enacted 
there ;  and  the  longer  he  thought,  the  more  desper- 
ate and  troubled  he  became. 


perceived  in 
8  asleep,  but 
to  him.  He 
,n  a  clearing 
ble  tragedies 
been,  enacted 
more  desper- 


CH AFTER   X. 

BURGOYNE  APPROACHES  TFCONDEROGA. 

It  was  long  after  midnight  before  Samuel  fell 
into  a  troubled  sleep,  and  the  sun  had  not  appeared 
when  he  awoke.  He  looked  at  the  sleeping  lieuten- 
ant,  but  soon  deciding  to  leave  him  to  his  slumber 
silently  left  the  tent  and  wandered  about  the  camp 
searching  for  any  one  who  might  be  able  to  give 
him  some  information  concerning  the  expedition  to 
nis  home. 

No  one  vvas  stirring,  however,  and  the  presence 
of  the  guards  clearly  showed  him  that  he  must  not 
wander  beyond  the  confines  of  the  camp.     For  two 
hours  the  troubled  boy  kept  up  his  vigil,  vainly 
hoping  that  Arthur,  or  the  Panther,  or  some  one 
niight  be  seen  who  could  give  him  some  information 
about  his  brother.     Every  time  any  one  appeared 
near  the    borders  of    the  camp,   Samuel   eagerly 
sought  him  half  hoping  and  yet  half  fearing  that 
lie   might   be   a   messenger,  or  some  one   of  the 
returning  party. 

He  knew  that  Jairus  would  not  be  taken  easily 
unless  he  was  surprised  and  overpowered  suddenly, 

107 


io8 


riVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


but  the  great  undefined  fear  in  his  heart  was  that  he 
might  not  be  brought  back  to  the  camp.  He  shud- 
dered as  he  thought  of  two  scalps  he  might  at  any 
moment  discover  dangling  from  the  belts  of  some 

painted  savages.  '     ,       ^^  i 

It  was  true,  as  Samuel  well  knew,  that  General 
Burgoyne  had  given  strict  orders  that  all  prisoners 
were  to  be  brought  alive  into  the  camp,  and  that  the 
reward  for  a  captive  was  far  greater  than  for  a  scalp ; 
but  he  thought  he  was  more  familiar  with  the  char- 
acter of  the  Indians  than  was  the  British  general, 
and,  besides,  he  knew  enough  of  the  disposition  of 
his  brother  to  believe  that  there  might  such  a  provo- 
cation be  given  to  those,  who  had  gone  to  surprise 
him,  that  a  tomahawk  or  a  bullet  would  be  considered 
the  only  means  of  settling  the  trouble.     And  there 
was  his  mother,  too,  and  the  thought  of  her  help- 
lessness only  served   to  increase  the  fears  of  the 

anxious  boy.  , 

At  last,  when  all  the  soldiers  had  appeared  and 
breakfast  had  been  eaten,  Samuel  returned  to  the 
tent  for  something  to  eat  himself  and  to  confer 
again  with  Lieutenant  David,  who,  in  spite  of  his 
intense  loyalty  to  the  king,  he  knew  was  not  un- 
friendly to  Jairus. 

But  David  had  gone  when  Samuel  entered  the 
tent,  and  after  going  out  again  he  remained  watch- 
ing through  the  hours  of  the  day  for  some  one  to 
come  with  the  information  he  longed  to  receive. 
The  day  passed,  however,  and  neither  the  Indians 


■art  was  that  he 

mp.     He  shucl- 

2  might  at  any 

belts  of  some 

V,  that  General 
at  all  prisoners 
np,  and  that  the 
:han  for  a  scalp ; 
r  with  the  char- 
British  general, 
le  disposition  of 
ht  such  a  provo- 
gone  to  surprise 
lid  be  considered 
t)le.     And  there 
Tht  of  her  help- 
he  fears  of  the 

ad  appeared  and 
returned  to  the 
[f  and  to  confer 
3,  in  spite  of  his 
lew  was  not  un- 

nuel  entered  the 

remained  watch- 

for  some  one  to 

ed  to  receive. 

iither  the  Indians 


BURGOYNE  APPROACHES   TICONDEROGA.  109 

nor  Arthur  made  their  appearance  in  the  camp 
Nor  had  he  seen  David  wlien  the  shadows  of  even- 
mg  agani  fell  over  the  forest. 

After  he  had  had  his  supper,  however,  David 
appeared  and  Samuel  hailed  him  eageriy.  "  Have 
you  heard  anything  of  Arthur  or  the  Panther? " 

"Not  a  word,"  replied  David;  "but  I  don't  mind 

telling  you  I  hardly  think  you  will  hear  right  awav  " 

"Why  not.?"  ^' 

"  Well,  the  case's  about  like  this.     Maybe  you've 

heard  me  speak  of  Jenny.?"     David's  face  flushed 

slightly  as  he  spoke,  and  he  looked  curiously  at  his 

companion. 

"  Well,  yes ;  I  think  I  have  heard  you  mention 
her  once  or  twice,"  replied  Samuel,  smiling  a  little 
m  spite  of  the  anxiety  in  his  own  heart.  "  What's 
she  got  to  do  with  it.?" 

"It's   this   way,"  said    David.     "Jenny   M'Crea 
hasn  t  lived  up  here  forever.     Her  father  used  to  be 
a  Presbyterian  minister  down  near  Paulus  Hook 
New  Jersey.      Over  in    New   York    Mrs.  M'Neil 
lived,  and  she  was  a  great  friend  of  Jenny's.     Her 
name  wasn't  M'Neil  first,  you  know,  for  her  first 
husband's  name  was  Campbell,  but  he  was  drowned 
and  afterwards  she  married  M'Neil.     He,  too  was 
drowned,   and   then    Mrs.   M'Neil   moved  up  near 
Fort  Edward  into  a  place   he   had   owned   there 
Mr.  M  Crea  died,  too,  soon   afterwards  and   then 
Jenny  came  up  here  to  live  with  her  brother,  who 
had  a  place  not  very  far  from  Mrs.  M'Neil's." 


no 


TtyO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


"  That's  how  you  came  to  know  her,  is  it  ?  "  said 

Samuel. 

"  Yes,  that  was  the  way  of  it,"  replied  David,  who 
evidently  was  talking  on  his  favorite  topic.    "You 
see,  Jenny  spent  lots  of  her  time  with  her  friend, 
Mrs.  M'Neil,  and  as  she  lived  right  near  us  it  didn't 
take  me  long  to  become  acquainted  with  her.    There 
were  six  of  us  boys,  and  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  was 
a  little  afraid  at  first  that  she'd  take  a  fancy  to  one 
of  the  others,  especially  to  my  brother  Jonathan. 
He's  the  one  that's  got  a  captain's  commission,  you 
know,  and  he's  under  General  Fraser,  just  as  you 
and  I  are.     Well,  the  bother  of  it  was  that  Jenny's 
brother  was  a  hot  Whig.    I  don't  think  Jenny  feels  so 
herself,  for  maybe  she's  listened  a  bit  to  what  I've  had 
to  say  to  her,"  and  again  David  laughed  and  blushed. 
"  Well,  her  brother's  been  sending  for  her  to  come 
down  to  Albany,  where  he  thought  she'd  be  safer, 
you  know ;  but,  bless  you,  Jenny  didn't  go ! " 

"What's  all   that  got  to  do   with   my  brother 
Jairus  ?     I  don't  see  any  connection,"  said  Samuel. 
"  Why,  it's  this  way.     We  wanted  to  get  Jairus 
back  into  the  ranks,  and  I'm  not  without  hope  that 
he'll  be  given  another  chance,  and  that  he'll  take  it. 
Of  course  he'll   take   it!    Well,  when   the  party 
started  out  to  get  him,  I  fixed  it  so  that  the  Panther 
and  some  of  the  others  should  go  on  and  get  Jenny 
and  bring  her  back  to  the  camp.     I  don't  mind  tell- 
ing you   that   she's   just  sent   me  word   that  her 
brother  had  given  his  last  orders  to  join  him,  and 


BURGOYNE  APPROACHES   T/CONDEROGA, 


III 


is  it?"  said 

David,  who 
opic.  "  You 
1  her  friend, 
ir  us  it  didn't 
1  her.    There 

truth,  I  was 

fancy  to  one 
er  Jonathan, 
amission,  you 
,  just  as  you 

that  Jenny's 
Jenny  feels  so 
what  I've  had 
I  and  blushed. 

her  to  come 
tie'd  be  safer, 
tgo!" 

I  my  brother 
said  Samuel. 
to  get  Jairus 
lOut  hope  that 
Lt  he'll  take  it. 
en  the  party 
it  the  Panther 
and  get  Jenny 
on't  mind  tell- 
kford   that  her 

join  him,  and 


that  if  she  didn't  join  me  she'd  have  to  go  down  the 
river  m  a  bateau." 

arZl'*""'!""'^^"  '"^  '^^  y°"'^  '^^^  ^^'  i»  the 
army,  do  you  ? 

"  I  don't  like  to,  and  yet  there  are  a  good  many 
women  here  and  I  guess  it's  safer  than  it  would  be 
anywhere  around  Fort  Edward,  or  even  in  Albany 
or  we'll  be  there  before  you  know  it,  and  thJn 
therellbetroube  You  see,  there's  the  Baroness 
de  Riedesel  and  Mrs.  General  Fraser,  and-" 

a  n'Jr; '.k"'"'"-     'T^^"  y^"-- plan  was  to  have  only 

on^^o  F       fJ"'"  f '°P  ^^'  J"^^"^'  ^"d  '^^  others  go 
on  to  Fort  Edward  and  get  your  sweetheart." 

Ves,  thats  about  it.     Jairus  will  be  sure  to  go 

back  home  after   his   mother,  and   I  don't   think 

herel    be  any  trouble  about  getting  him.     And 

then  he  can  do  something  for  your  mother- 1 

don  t  know  just  what,  but  it'll  be  fixed  up  all  right 

some  way,  I  know -and  he'll  come  with  them  to 

erran'd  T  '""^   '^^  °*^''*'  ^""  ^°  °»  ^"^  do  my 
errand  for  me.     You  see,  Mrs.  M'Neil's  a  cousin 
of  General  Praser,  and  she  may  come  into  camp,  too 
If  she  does,  why  it'll  be  all  the  better  for  Jenny  " 

late  they  both  turned  in  for  the  night;  but  try  as 
he  would,  sleep  would  not  come  to  the  lad     The 

t  nually  r.se  before  him.  and  more  than  once  he 
almost  fancied  he  could  hear  the  startled  call  of 
Jairus  as  the  Indians   rushed  upon  him.     As  fo 


112 


r^yo  young  patriots. 


Arthur,  he  had  no  confidence  in  him,  and  somehow 
he  never  thought  of  Jairus  in  any  other  light  than 
that  of  a  prisoner  or  of  a  victim  of  the  treacherous 
Indians.  He  knew  that  the  Panther,  in  spite  of 
David's  words,  would  never  forgive  Jairus  for  the 
plight  in  which  he  had  left  him. 

On  the  following  day,  there  was  a  stir  among  the 
soldiers  which  plainly  indicated  that  a  forward 
movement  was  about  to  be  made.  Samuel  waited 
eagerly  for  some  word  from  the  party  which  had 
gone  to  his  home,  but  no  word  came,  and  the  army 

soon  started.  ,   •  •     j 

It  was  with  a  heavy  heart  that  Samuel  joined 
them.  No  one  had  come,  and  not  a  word  had  been 
received  from  Arthur  or  the  Panther.  Somehow 
he  felt  relieved  after  David's  story  of  the  further 
advance  they  were  to  make,  but  he  knew  his  mother 
could  not  go,  and  certainly  Jairus  would  not  leave 
her  unless  he  was  compelled  to.  No,  there  was  no 
solution  for  the  difficult  problem,  and  no  further  light 
was  received  before  the  army  halted  once  more. 

The  days  passed,  and  still  no  word  came.  Even 
David  was  becoming  alarmed,  and  many  were  the 
conversations  he  held  with  Samuel,  each  vainly 
striving  to  console  the  other. 

Meanwhile  the  forces  of  Burgoyne  were  steadily 
increased  by  the  arrival  of  fresh  bands  of  irregulars 
who  had  come  in  from  the  surrounding  regions, 
and  of  painted  Indians,  who  for  the  present  were 
keen  allies  of  the  British  general, 


id  somehow 
•  light  than 
treacherous 
in  spite  of 
irus  for  the 

r  among  the 
t  a  forward 
imuel  waited 
(T  which  had 
,nd  the  army 

imuel  joined 
3rd  had  been 
•.     Somehow 
i  the  further 
iw  his  mother 
jld  not  leave 
there  was  no 
3  further  light 
ice  more, 
came.    Even 
lany  were  the 
,  each  vainly 

were  steadily 

i  of  irregulars 

iding  regions, 

present  were 


BVRGOYNE   APPKOACHES    TICONDEKOGA.  113 

Indeed,  as  Samuel's  hopes  decreased  those  of  the 
men  about  him  seemed  to  rise.  The  lowest  camp- 
followers  seemed  to  think  there  could  be  only  one 
outcome  to  the  expedition.  Burgoyne  himself 
was  bold  and  sure,  his  division  generals  shared  in 
his  confidence,  and  the  contagion  of  their  feelincrs 
quickly  spread  throughout  the  army.  ** 

The  old  mountains  and  the  clear  waters  of  the 
lake  had  never  seen  a  sight  like  that  when  at  last 
the  army  embarked.  In  advance  moved  the  light 
birch-bark  canoes  of  the  Indians,  the  painted  faces 
and  feathers  of  the  warriors  presenting  a  pictur- 
esque and  weird  appearance.  Behind  them  moved 
the  barges  in  which  were  General  Eraser's  men 
and  in  the  midst  of  them  was  Samuel  Goodwin' 
They  were  drawn  out  in  one  long  line  and  flanked 
with  gunboats  on  each  side. 

Next  came  the  great  frigates,  the  Royal  George 
and    the  Invincible,  but  they  were  not  alone,  for 
other   armed   and    well-equipped    vessels   aided    in 
making   up   the   fleet.     Protected   by   this  strong 
escort,  came  the  main  body  and  the  generals,  while 
the  hangers-on  and  the  camp-followers  brought  up 
the  rear  of  the  procession ;  and  better  far  would  it 
have  been  for  the  good  name  of  those  who  began 
the  campaign  if  these  same  followers  had  remained 
so  far  m  the  rear  that  they  never  would  have  caught 
up  with  the  main  body. 

Exhilaration   and   confidence  were   manifest   on 
every  side.     The  beautiful  day  in  June,  the  moun- 


114 


7;ko  young  patriots. 


tains  forming  the  framework  of  the  picture  in  the 
distance,  the  clear,  sparkUng  waters  of  the  lake,  the 
strength  of  the  army  and  the  weakness  of  the  foes 
against  whom  they  were  moving,  all  combined  to 
render  the  men  expectant  and  confident. 

The  irregulars  had  been  greatly  increased  in  num- 
bers. This  in  part  had  been  caused  by  the  fears  of 
the  scattered  people,  many  of  whom  were  loyal  to 
the  colonies,  while  others  were  willing  now  to  bow 
before  the  advancing  general  and  his  great  army. 
In  part,  however,  the  proclamation,  which  General 
Burgoyne  had  caused  to  be  drawn  up  and  scattered 
among  the  people  of  Vermont,  had  brought  the  new 
men  into  the  camp. 

The  heading  of  this  proclamation  was  as  follows: 
''By  John  Burgoyne,  Esq.,  Lieutetiant-Genefal 
of  His  Majesty's  army  in  America,  Colonel  of  the 
Queens  regiment  of  light  dragoons.  Governor  of  Fort 
William,  in  North  Britain,  one  of  the  Representa- 
tives of  the  Commons  of  Great  Britain  in  Parlia- 
ment, and  commanding  an  army  and  fleet  on  an 
expedition  from  Canada','  etc. 

This  pompous  heading  was  followed  by  an 
equally  pompous  proclamation,  in  which  "John 
Hurgoyne,  Esq.,"  set  forth  the  strength  of  his  armies 
and  fleets,  and  the  power,  justice,  and  mercy  of  the 
king.  He  then  extolled  his  own  purposes,  bitterly 
condemned  the  "  arbitrary  imprisonment,  confispa- 
tit)n  of  property,  persecution  and  torture,  unprece- 
dented in   the  inquisitions  of  the  Romish  church, 


t 


nVKGOYNE  APPROACHES   TICONDEKOGA. 


H5 


and  the  palpable  enormities  "  of  which  the  "  rebels  " 
had  been  guilty.  He  promised  to  hold  forth  pro- 
tection and  security.  The  proclamation  closed 
with  these  words:  — 

"  In  consciousness  of  Christianity,  my  royal  mas- 
ters clemency,  and  the  honor  of  soldiership,  I  have 
dwelt  upon  this  invitation  and  wish  for  more  per- 
suasive terms  to  give  it  impression.  And  let  not 
people  be  led  to  disregard  it,  by  considering  their  dis- 
tance from  the  immediate  situation  of  my  camp.  I 
have  but  to  give  stretch  to  the  Indian  forces  under 
my  direction,  and  they  amount  to  thousands,  to  ovci'- 
take  tlie  hardened  enemies  of  Great  Britain  and 
America.  I  consider  them  the  same  wherever  they 
may  lurk. 

"  If  notwithstanding  their  endeavors  and  sincere 
inclinations  to  effect  them,  the  frenzy  of  hostility 
should  remain,  I  trust  I  shall  stand  acquitted  in 
the  eyes  of  God  and  man  in  denouncing  and  execut- 
ing the  vengeance  of  the  State  against  the  wilful  out- 
casts. The  messengers  of  justice,  of  wrath,  await 
them  in  the  field,  and  devastation,  famine,  and  every 
concomitant  horror  that  a  reluctant  but  indispensa- 
ble prosecution  of  military  duty  must  occasion,  will 
bar  the  way  to  their  return." 

The  proclamation  had  its  effect  on  certain  of  the 
weaker  ones  in  the  region,  and  also  on  those  who 
either  were  Tories  at  heart  or  were  alarmed  by  the 
approach  of  the  great  army. 

The  American  watch-boats  quickly  reported  Bur- 


RSBTT 


ii6 


■JiyO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


goyne's  approach,  and  preparations  for  resisting  the 
invaders  were  rapidly  made. 

On  June  29th,  1777,  the  British  army  was  near 
Ticonderoga.  Burgoyne,  who  was  a  good  speaker, 
made  a  very  stirring  appeal  to  his  soldiers  and  gave 
out  as  the  watchword :  "  This  army  must  not  re- 
treat." 

On  the  following  day,  Eraser's  corps  landed  in 
full  view  of  the  fortress  and  Samuel  Goodwin,  heart- 
sick and  disheartened,  was  among  them. 


CHAPTER   XI. 


BESIEGED. 


Jairus  Goodwin  and  his  companion,  when  they 
had  securely  fastened  the  door  of  the  sheep-pen, 
and  had  seen  the  little  cloud  of  smoke  hovering 
near  the  platform  in  the  beech-tree,  were  thoroughly 
alarmed. 

It  was  true  they  had  found  a  shelter,  which  for 
the  moment  was  safe,  but  only  a  few  moments  had 
passed  before  they  realized  that  they  were  in  a  situ- 
ation of  no  little  peril,  and  from  which  the  possibil- 
ity of  an  escape  was  not  very  promising. 

Only  one  gun  had  been  heard,  but  that  fact 
might  mean  much  or  little  according  to  circum- 
stances. For  all  that  they  knew,  they  might  be 
surrounded  by  enemies,  and  at.  the  thought  Jairus 
looked  again  at  the  fastenings  of  the  rude  door, 
which  they  had  closed  in  great  haste  when  they 
entered.  He  peered  out  again  between  the  chinks, 
but  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  to  indicate  the 
presence  of  an  enemy.  The  smoke  had  disap- 
peared, the  little  squirrels  had  resumed  their  chat- 
tering, as  they  darted  about  among  the  trees,  and 

117 


ll 


mmm^m 


lis 


Tlt'O    YUUNG  PATRIOTS. 


the  perfect  cjuiet  of  a  summer  day  apparently  rested 
over  all. 

They  were  penned  uj)  as  prisoners,  however;  of 
that  fact  there  could  be  no  doubt.  The  presence 
of  Jeremiah,  the  whistling  of  the  bullet  as  it  had 
passed  so  near  them,  the  recollection  of  the  one 
sharp  report,  all  proved  the  fact,  and  when  a  few 
minutes  had  passed,  Jairus,  who  was  the  first  to 
break  the  silence,  turned  to  his  companion  and 
whispered:  — 

"  What  do  you  make  of  it,  Jeremiah  ?  What  do 
you  think  ? " 

"  I'm  a  doin'  my  thinkin'  jest  neow,"  replied  Jere- 
miah slowly.  "  I  can't  say  as  I  see  very  much,  i 
'most  wish  I  could  see  somethin'.  It  would  help, 
anyway." 

"  Do  you  think  there  are  many  out  there  in  the 
beech-tree  ? " 

"  Naw,  not  in  that  tree ;  but  I  wouldn't  promise 
that  some  of  the  other  trees  didn't  have  any  inhabi- 
tants. I'm  rather  expectin'  we  shall  ^ee  or  hear 
somethin'  that'll  be  an  eye-opener,  pretty  soon.  I 
can't  tell  yet  whether  it's  Indians  or  white  men." 

"  I  rather  think  there's  one  white  man  in  the 
crowd,  anyway,"  replied  Jairus,  as  he  went  on  to 
relate  the  story  of  the  building  of  the  platform, 
and  the  knowledge  which  Arthur  must  have  of  it. 

"  That  looks  likely,"  replied  Jeremiah  at  last. 
"  It's  jest  as  like  as  not  that  young  cousin  o'  yers 
might  have  happened  to  think  ye'd  come  back 


BESIEGED. 


119 


y  rested 

tiver;  of 
)resence 
it  had 
the  one 
n  a  few 
first  to 
ion  and 

^hat  do 

ed  Jere- 
mch.  i 
lid  help, 

;  in  the 

promise 
^  inhabi- 
or  hear 
soon.  I 
nen. 
1  in  the 
it  on  to 
jlatform, 
ave  of  it. 
at  last. 
I  o'  yers 
ne  back 


f 


herr  to  see  yer  nia,  and  he  thought  nuhbe  ye 
could  be  caught;  for  o' course  he  knows  by  this  time 
that  ye  didn't  go  back  to  Hurgoyne's  camp.  Trust 
him  for  that." 

"  He  wouldn't  have  come  alone,  if  he's  out  there," 
replied  Jairus  emphatically.  '*  I  know  him  too  well 
for  that.  No,  sir,  if  Arthur  Goodwin's  out  there, 
he's  got  plenty  of  company,  you  may  rest  your  soul 
on  that  fact." 

"I  am  a  restin'  it,"  said  Jeremiah  soberly ;  " but 
the  trouble  is,  I  don't  want  to  rest  it.  We'll  keep 
our  mouths  shut  and  our  eyes  open  for  a  spell,  and 
somethin'll  happen." 

Jairus  followed  the  implied  suggestion  of  his  com- 
panion, and  said  nothing  more.  Both  he  and  Jere- 
miah now  began  to  keep  a  careful  watch  upon  the 
forest. 

The  pli  tform  itself  could  not  be  seen  from  the 
sheep-pen,  but  it  was  possible  to  see  some  little  dis- 
tance on  every  side  into  the  forest,  which  had  been 
largely  cleared  of  underbrush.  The  fact  that  an 
open  space  lay  between  them  and  the  trees  was  a 
source  of  comfort,  for  no  attack  could  be  made  upon 
them  without  the  attacking  party  first  exposing  itself. 

An  hour  now  passed,  and  not  a  word  was  spoken. 
Jeremiah  had  taken  a  seat  on  the  ground  where  he 
could  peer  out  between  the  logs  and  see  all  that 
was  occurring  in  front  of  the  pen.  He  sat  there 
almost  as  motionless  as  a  statue,  and  seldom  re- 
moved his  eyes  from  the  scene  before  him. 


130 


Tiro  vocwi  PATKtors. 


[airus  had  occasionally  changed  his  position  and 
liad  gone  to  various  parts  of  the  sheep-pen  and 
peered  out  into  the  surrounding  forest ;  but  nothing 
could  be  seen  to  indicate  the  presence  of  enemies. 
He  wished  Jeremiah  would  speak  to  him,  for  the 
silence  and  suspense  were  becoming  almost  unbear- 
able. It  seemed  to  him  that  the  besiegers  must 
have  departed.  Indeed,  the  whole  experience  was 
almost  like  a  dream  to  him  now,  save  when  he 
thought  of  his  mother  and  of  the  pile  of  ashes  which 
marked  the  spot  where  his  home  had  been. 

At  last  he  could  bear  it  no  longer.  Jeremiah 
must  speak  to  him,  if  it  was  nothing  more  than  a 
word  to  show  that  he  was  not  unmindful  of  his  pres- 
ence. 

"Jeremiah,"  whispered  Jairus,  "Jeremiah,  don't 
you  think  it'll  do  to  get  out  of  here  now } " 

Jeremiah  made  no  reply  except  to  lift  his  hand  in 
warning  and  then  point  to  the  forest. 

Jairus  dropped  on  his  knees  and,  following  the 
directions,  again  looked  at  the  place  which  his 
companion  had  been  watching. 

At  first  he  could  see  nothing  unusual,  but  sud- 
denly he  discovered  an  Indian  crouching  low,  and 
creeping  cautiously  along  near  the  ground.  What 
was  he  trying  to  do?  And  why  was  he  so  near  the 
borders  of  the  forest  ? 

The  question  was  not  solved,  however;  for  his 
attention  was  drawn  to  Jeremiah,  who  had  slowly 
changed  his  position  and  taking  his  gun  was^hold- 


position  and 
ep-pcn  and 
but  nothing 
of  enemies. 
Iiim,  for  the 
lost  unbcar- 
egers  must 
urience  was 
''e  when  he 
ashes  which 
en. 

Jeremiah 
nore  than  a 
of  his  pres- 

miah,  don't 

?" 

his  hand  in 

llowing  the 
which   his 

il.  but  sud- 
ig  low,  and 
nd.  What 
so  near  the 

er;  for  his 
had  slowly 
n  was^hold- 


SL';OE-,^r'  H£  0:SCO.£R£j  A'l  INOiA'^  QU.CKLr'  DAr-irif.G  FROM   r,.l£  TO  ' 


REE. 


7 


BESIEGED. 


121 


ing  its  muzzle  near  to  the  chinks  and  watching  the 
movements  of  the  savage. 

"  There's  hardly  space  for  a  bullet  to  creep 
through,"  whispered  Jeremiah,  "  but  I'm  goin'  to 
try  the  effect  of  a  shot.  It  may  teach  'em  a  bit  of 
a  lesson.  We're  in  a  trap,  but  they  haven't  got  the 
game  yet.     There  now.     Look  out ! " 

Jairus  "  looked  out "  just  as  the  report  of  the  gun 
sounded,  which  almost  deafened  him. 

"  Missed  him !  Gum !  but  that  was  a  close  call. 
I'd  a  hit  him  if  there'd  been  a  little  more  space 
atween  these  logs ! "  muttered  Jeremiah. 

Jairus  was  too  busy  watching  the  Indian  to  heed 
his  companion's  words.  The  bullet  had  struck  the 
back  of  the  tree  from  behind  which  the  savage  had 
just  emerged,  and  sent  the  splinters  in  every  direc- 
tion. The  Indian,  startled  for  a  moment,  had  dodged 
quickly  back  into  the  shelter,  and  a  yell  which 
seemed  to  Jairus  to  come  from  a  hundred  men 
greeted  the  report  of  the  gun. 

"  I  thought  I'd  find  out  how  many  of  ye  there 
was,"  muttered  Jeremiah.  "  I  know  ye  now.  Yer 
name's  legion,  like  them  painted  fellows  that  got 
into  a  lot  of  pigs  once,  in  the  Bible.  Hold  on  there ! 
What  ye  up  to  neow?  Gum!  Give  me  yer  gun 
quick,  Jairus ! " 

Jeremiah's  exclamation  had  been  called  forth  by 
the  antics  of  the  Indian  at  whom  he  had  fired.  For 
a  moment  he  had  appeared  to  hesitate,  but  only  for 
a  moment,  as  he  darted  from  behind  the  tree  which 


MMI 


I 


122 


riVO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


\ 


\ 


stood  a  little  apart  from  the  others  to  return  to  his 
companions.  Evidently  he  thought  he  would  have 
time  to  do  this  before  another  gun  in  the  sheep-pen 
could  be  discharged. 

He  had  taken  but  a  few  steps,  however,  when  he 
was  thrown  violently  to  the  ground.  Uttering  a 
yell  which  caused  even  Jeremiah  to  lower  his  gun 
and  gaze  at  him  in  surprise,  he  partially  arose  and 
then  begap  to  struggle  desperately  at  something 
which  plainly  was  holding  him  by  the  leg. 

"  Gum ! "  was  all  that  Jeremiah  could  say  at  first. 
"  Gum !  He's  got  it  neow,  but  what  it  is  he's  got  is 
more'n  I  can  say.  'Pears  like  as  if  somethin',  though, 
had  got  him." 

"  I  know  what's  got  him !  It's  that  wolf-trap  we 
boys  set  for  the  panther.  He's  stepped  straight 
into  it.  I  hadn't  thought  of  it  once  since  we  left  it," 
said  Jairus  quickly. 

"  Let  him  work  at  it,  then !  Let  him  work  at  it ! " 
said  Jeremiah  grimly.  "  I  thought  at  first  I'd  pick 
him  off  same  as  I  do  a  turkey  that's  held  by  a  string 
at  a  shootin'-match,  but  I'll  let  him  work  at  it  alone. 
Mebbe  he'll  serve  as  a  decoy  to  call  some  o'  his 
heathing  brethring  to  his  aid.  Shut  up,  can't  ye  ? 
What's  the  good  o'  talkin'  so  loud !  Ye'U  disturb 
some  o'  the  nabors,  ye  painted  heathing ! " 

These  last  remarks  of  Jeremiah's  were  directed 
at  the  Indian,  who  was  struggling  desperately  to 
open  the  jaws  of  the  trap ;  but  struggle  and  strive 
as  he  would,  the  strong  trap  still  held  him.     He 


\ 


BESIEGED. 


123 


irn  to  his 
uld  have 
heep-pen 

when  he 

ttering  a 

his  gun 

rose  and 

amething 

y  at  first, 
le's  got  is 
',  though, 

If-trap  we 

straight 

ire  left  it," 

rkatit!" 
:  I'd  pick 
y  a  string 
t  it  alone, 
tne  o'  his 
can't  ye? 
11  disturb 

directed 
irately  to 
ind  strive 
lim.     He 


called  to  his  companions,  and  screamed  in  his  pain. 
He  hobbled  to  the  end  of  the  chain  and  tried  to 
unfasten  that,  but  his  eflforts  were  all  without  avail. 

Still  no  one  of  his  companions  came  to  his  aid, 
not  caring  to  expose  themselves  in  the  open  space 
to  a  shot  from  the  sheep-pen.  For  several  minutes 
the  Indian  struggled  desperately  to  free  himself, 
but  at  last  concluding  that  no  help  would  come  to 
him,  he  cast  him.self  upon  the  ground  and  lay  still. 

The  pain  caused  by  the  trap  was  more  easily 
borne  than  that  which  a  bullet  from  a  gun  in  the 
sheep-pen  might  cause,  and  heroically  the  Indian 
resigned  himself  to  his  fate. 

"  That's  a  fearful  trap,"  said  Jairus.  "  It  took 
two  of  us  to  set  it,  and  I  don't  wonder  he  can't  get 
out  of  it  alone.  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  his  leg 
was  broken,  too." 

"  Like  enough.  But  I  tell  ye  what,  Jairus,  we're 
in  a  trap,  too.  That  ere  sun  isn't  goin'  to  stay  up 
there  in  the  sky  fer  us  or  anybody  else,  and  when 
it's  gone,  I  tell  ye,  we'll  'most  envy  that  fellow  out 
there  in  that  wolf-trap." 

"  Why !  what  do  you  mean  ?  "  said  Jairus  quickly. 

"  Jest  what  I  say.  This  pen '11  be  a  trap,  a  death- 
trap, too,  afore  momin',  fer  both  of  us.  They'll 
creep  up  and  set  fire  to  it,  and  then  where'll  we 
be?" 

"  You  don't  think  they'll  do  that,  do  you  ?  Maybe 
Arthur's  there,  and  bad  as  he  is,  he  wouldn't  go  in 
for  burning  us  alive." 


^mvm»Mm0mi0^mm 


124 


Tiro   YOUNG  PATKIOTS. 


"  Mighty  little  Arthur'U  have  to  do  with  it,"  replied 
Jeremiah.  "  I  know  them  fellows  better'n  you,  nor 
Arthur  either.  We've  got  to  get  out  o'  this,  ihat's 
all  there  is  to  it." 

"  But  how  shall  we  get  out  ?  We  can't  open  the 
door,  can  we .'' " 

"  Naw  —  though  I  guess  I  will,  jest  to  see  what '11 
take  place.  Kind  o'  let  'em  know  we're  alive. 
Mebbe  that's  jest  what  they're  a  waitin'  for  all  this 
time." 

Jeremiah  carefully  removed  the  braces  and  bars 
from  the  door,  and  then,  taking  his  hat  and  placing 
it  on  the  end  of  a  stick,  he  took  his  position  at  one 
side,  and  motioned  to  Jairus  to  open  the  door  a  few 
inches. 

His  companion,  at  once  perceiving  his  object, 
took  his  stand  behind  the  heavy  door,  and  began 
to  open  it.  As  it  swung  slowly  back,  Jeremiah 
carefully  thrust  forward  the  hat  on  the  end  of  the 
stick. 

At  the  very  first  of  its  appearance  there  was  a 
yell,  and  the  discharge  of  a  half-dozen  guns.  The 
bullets  struck  the  heavy  door,  and  knocked  the  hat 
from  its  position. 

"  Don't !  Don't  look  out ! "  said  Jeremiah  quickly, 
for  his  companion  had  started  to  peer  out  into  the 
forest.  "  They're  waitin'  for  ye.  Quick  !  Bar  the 
door  again.     Bar  it,  I  say ! " 

A  band  of  Indians  had  appeared  on  the  border 
as  if  they  were  about  to  make  a  rush  upon  the  sheep- 


BESIEGED. 


125 


:,"  replied 

you,  nor 

liis,  ihat's 

open  the 

ee  what '11 
're  alive. 
)r  all  this 

and  bars 
d  placing 
on  at  one 
oor  a  few 

is  object, 
nd  began 
Jeremiah 
id  of  the 

;re  was  a 
ns.  The 
d  the  hat 

h  quickly, 

t  into  the 

Bar  the 

lie  border 
:he  sheep- 


pen,  but  Jairus  hastily  swung  the  heavy  door  into 
its  place,  and  the  bars  and  braces  were  immediately 
adjusted. 

"There,  I  jest  wanted  to  draw  'em  out,  and  I 
did,"  said  Jeremiah  calmly.  "  Here,  they've  done 
more'n  I  bargained  for,"  he  quickly  added,  as,  peer- 
ing out  again  between  the  chinks,  he  saw  the  Indians 
with  the  body  of  their  helpless  companion  withdraw- 
ing into  the  forest.  "  They've  got  that  fellow,  sure's 
you  live,  Jairus.  That  was  a  mistake,  but  they'll 
be  on  the  lookout  pretty  sharp  fer  us,  fer  they'll  sus- 
pect we  don't  mean  to  tarry  but  a  night  here.  And 
we  don't,  or  we'll  think  that  poor  redskin  in  the 
wolf-trap  was  in  paradise  alongside  o'  either  of 
us." 

"  But  what  can  we  do }  I  don't  see,  for  my  part, 
that  we  can  get  out  anywhere  else,  and  they'll  be  on 
the  watch,  too." 

"  They'll  be  more'n  on  the  watch,  my  son.  This 
ere  air's  a  little  chilly  in  the  night,  and  they'll  want 
to  have  a  fire  to  warm  themselves  by.  And  they'll 
have  it,  too.  When  it  gets  dark  enough,  some  o' 
them  tormentors  will  creep  up  here,  and  this  pen'll 
somehow  get  afire,  jest  as  yer  house  did,  only  this 
time  there'll  be  somebody  inside,  which  there  wasn't 
in  the  other  case,  I'm  a  thinkin'." 

"  I'll  do  anything  you  say,"  said  Jairus  soberly, 
"  but  I  don't  see  anything  we  can  do." 

"  I'll  show  ye.  Neow  it  won't  do  to  try  to  go 
out  by  the  door.     They'll  watch  that  constant  like. 


mWWJ 


126 


riVO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


Can't  we  get  out  by  the  roof,  or  rip  out  a  log  on  the 
back  side  o'  this  trap  ?  " 

"  There  was  one  of  the  logs  that  didn't  fit  in  very 
well,  but  we  chinked  it  up  so  it  was  safe  enough," 
replied  Jairus.  "  It's  on  the  back  side,  there,"  and 
he  pointed  as  he  spoke  to  a  place  in  the  rear 
wall. 

"  That's  the  thing.  Neow  all  I  want  o'  ye,  is  to 
keep  watch  in  front,  and  I'll  fix  that  ere  log.  Fire 
off  yer  gun  once  in  a  while,  jest  to  let  'em  know 
we're  alive,  and  watchin'  that  side  o'  the  earth. 
Neow  then ! " 

Jeremiah  drew  a  huge  jack-knife  from  his  pocket, 
and,  leaving  his  companion,  at  once  began  his  task. 
Jairus  could  not  hear  him,  for  he  worked  silently, 
and  the  lad  soon  was  giving  his  entire  attention  to 
the  duty  assigned  him. 

Not  an  Indian  had  appeared,  but  several  times 
Jairus  discharged  his  gun  through  the  chinks  in  the 
wall,  and  the  derisive  shout  which  greeted  him 
showed  clearly  that  the  besiegers  had  not  departed. 

Meanwhile  the  sun  sank  lower  and  lower,  and  at 
last  disappeared  below  the  edge  of  the  forest.  The 
dusk  would  soon  be  here  and  then  the  darkness. 
Thoughts  of  his  missing  mother,  of  the  burned 
home,  and  of  his  brother  in  the  British  camp 
crowded  themselves  into  his  mind.  And  above 
all  was  the  desperate  situation  in  which  he  and  his 
companion  were  placed. 

"  I've  fixed  it.     I've  had  to  be  mighty  quiet  about 


MMB 


( 


BESIEGED. 


127 


)g  on  the 

it  in  very 
enough," 
ere,"  and 
the  rear 

ye,  is  to 
)g.  Fire 
em  know 
le  earth. 

Is  pocket, 

his  task. 

I  silently, 

:ention  to 

iral  times 
iks  in  the 
eted  him 
departed. 
IX,  and  at 
est.  The 
darkness, 
e  burned 
ish  camp 
nd  above 
e  and  his 

iiiet  about 


it,  fer  I  didn't  know  what  might  be  a  listenin'  to  me. 
As  soon  as  it's  dark,  we'll  slip  it  out  and  start." 

"  Maybe  we  won't  go  far,"  said  Jairus  gloomily. 

"  Don't  want  to  go  far.  Jest  far  enough's  about 
right.  Neow  don't  give  up  when  the  pinch  comes. 
Yer  too  brave  a  lad  to  do  that,  I  know ! " 

'•  No,  I'm  ready." 

"'Tisn't  quite  dark  enough  yet.  I'll  sit  down 
here  beside  ye  and  help  keep  watch." 

As  the  darkness  deepened,  occasionally  a  gun 
was  discharged,  but  no  response  was  made  now. 

"  They're  jest  a  waitin'  fer  bus'ness,"  said  Jere- 
miah; but  his  companion  made  no  response.  He 
was  trembling  with  excitement,  and  the  fear  of  the 
venture  they  were  about  to  make  prevented  him 
from  speaking. 

The  outlines  of  the  forest  became  dim.  There 
was  a  sighing  now  among  the  trees,  for  the  wind 
was  rising.  For  some  time  no  response  had  come 
from  the  besiegers,  and  there  was  nothing  to  indi- 
cate the  presence  of  danger.  Jairus  could  not  see 
the  face  of  his  companion  now  and  knew  of  his 
presence  only  as  he  stretched  forth  his  hand  and 
touched  him. 

It  seemed  to  him  that  hours  must  have  passed, 
but  Jeremiah  had  not  spoken  a  word  nor  changed 
his  position.  It  was  becoming  almost  unbearable. 
The  darkness,  the  silence  and  suspense,  the  fear  of 
that  which  they  were  about  to  attempt,  all  rested 
heavily  on  the  waiting  boy ;  and  Jeremiah  had  not 


128 


TIVO   YOVNG   PATRIOTS. 


moved  or  spoken  for  hours  as  it  seemed  to 
him. 

At  last  Jeremiah  whispered,  "  The  time's  come, 
my  lad.  Neow,  be  brave.  Come  on!"  Together 
they  sought  the  rear  of  the  pen,  then,  halting  a 
moment,  Jeremiah  whispered,  "  I'll  take  out  the 
log  and  go  ahead.     Then  you  follow  me." 

Stooping  low,  he  slowly  and  silently  pulled  at 
the  log.  Jairus  could  see  rather  than  hear  that  it 
yielded.  In  a  moment  Jeremiah  slipped  through 
the  opening,  and  with  trembling  heart  Jairus  pre- 
pared to  follow  him. 


!      I 


^■t^iMto 


II  ii.i— ,1    \\im,vtwmim«matmmiimmmp^m» 


emed    to 


i« 


es  come, 

Together 

halting  a 

out   the 

pulled   at 

ar  that  it 

through 

lirus  pre- 


CHAPTER   XII. 

THE    DIFFICULTIES    ARE    INCREASED. 

The  darkness  was  so  intense  that  when  Jairus 
crept  through  the  opening  and  found  himself  be- 
side his  companion,  he  could  not  even  sec  his  face. 
He  knew  he  was  by  his  side,  however;  for  Jeremiah 
laid  his  hand  gently  on  the  shoulder  of  the  lad,  and 
for  several  minutes  they  stood  together  and  waited. 

Not  a  sound  could  be  heard  but  the  rustling  of 
the  leaves  in  the  trees,  that  came  close  up  to  the 
rear  of  the  sheep-pen.  The  besieging  party  had 
iiot  been  heard  from  since  the  darkness  had  come, 
but  both  of  the  men  were  too  well  versed  in  Indian 
ways  to  think  for  a  moment  that  they  had  departed. 

The  custom  of  the  savages  was  to  wait  until 
it  was  almost  morning,  when  the  watchers  would 
be  worn  out  by  their  vigil,  or  less  on  their  guard, 
before  they  made  a  rush,  or  began  an  open  attack. 
In  the  present  case,  however,  both  Jeremiah  and 
Jairus  strongly  suspected  that  the  Indians  were  led 
by  their  white  allies,  and  if  that  should  be  true,  the 
whole  method  of  attack  might  bo  modified,  or  radi- 
cally changed. 

K  139 


>'}: 


Hf' 


mmm»mitfgm 


ISO 


riyO   YOUNG  PATKtOTS 


While  they  had  not  seen  or  heard  of  any  of  the 
besiegers  except  in  the  portion  of  the  forest  in  front 
of  the  sheep-pen,  for  the  only  entrance  was  there, 
the  rear  of  the  place  they  were  now  leaving  might 
have  becnnie  the  point  of  attack  since  the  night  had 
fallen,  and  in  such  an  event  their  every  movement 
might  now  be  watched  by  their  foes. 

The  thought  made  both  more  cautious,  but  when 
several  moments  had  passed  and  no  sound,  save 
that  of  the  rustling  leaves,  had  been  heard,  Jeremiah 
indicated  his  desire  to  push  on,  by  a  gentle  pull  at 
Jairus's  arm.  The  darkness  was  not  so  dense  now, 
as  their  eyes  in  a  measure  had  become  accustomed 
to  it,  and  the  grim  forms  of  the  silent  trees  became 
more  clearly  defined. 

Without  delaying  to  restore  the  log  they  had  re- 
moved to  its  place,  Jairus  began  to  move  silently 
and  slowly  into  the  forest;  for  he  knew  that,  as 
he  was  the  more  familiar  with  the  region,  upon 
him  would  devolve  the  duty  of  being  the  guide. 

Cautiously  and  slowly  they  moved  on,  keeping 
well  together,  and  their  hearts  at  times  almost  ceas- 
ing to  beat  in  their  excitement. 

Behind  any  of  the  great  trees  an  Indian  might  be 
concealed.  The  eyes  of  an  unseen  enemy  might 
be  following  their  every  movement.  Jairus  did  not 
take  a  step  that  he  did  not  fear  a  tomahawk  or  a 
bullet  might  meet  him.  Never  before  had  he 
passed  through  such  an  experience. 

In  spite  of  his  fears,  he  h-.ld  steadily  to  his  way. 


^^^  I  K'm^tmMmwmmmmmi 


MMMi»<nMlrto 


i'.iWrrinriii  I 


«il«MWiJIW-'»! 


TIIK   DltflCUlTN-.S  AKE   ISi'KEASl-.D. 


131 


ny  of  the 
it  in  front 
k'as  there, 
ng  might 
night  had 
novement 

but  when 
und,  save 
Jeremiah 
le  pull  at 
cnse  now, 
customed 
:s  became 

jy  had  re- 
re  silently 
V  that,  as 
;ion,  upon 
guide. 
I,  keeping 
nost  ceas- 

I  might  be 
my  might 
us  did  not 
lawk  or  a 
t   had    he 

0  his  way. 


Around  behind  the  place  where  the  old  house  had 
stood,  they  went;  for  he  feared  to  approach  the  open 
space,  as  he  thought  some  one  might  be  watching 
there. 

Their  eyes  had  beconie  more  accustomed  to  the 
darkness  now,  and  they  had  little  difficulty  in  find- 
ing their  way.  From  tree  to  tree  they  moved,  work- 
ing under  such  a  strain  of  fear  and  anxiety  as  neither 
ever  had  known  before. 

It  seemed  to  Jairus  that  hours  must  have  passed 
since  they  left  the  sheep-pen.  There  were  times 
when  it  all  seemed  unreal  and  he  felt  as  if  he  had 
been  dreaming,  and  was  waiting  for  some  one  to 
rouse  him  out  of  his  sleep.  Still,  they  held  to  their 
way,  working  cautiously  and  slowly  towards  the  shore 
of  the  lake,  where  they  had  left  the  little  canoe,  which 
Jairus  had  taken  from  the  Panther  at  the  time  of  his 
escape. 

At  last  they  arrived  at  a  spot  from  which  they 
could  look  out  into  the  open  space  where  the  log 
house  had  been,  and  Jairus  stopped  for  a  moment, 
and,  taking  his  companion  by  the  hand,  gazed  ear- 
nestly at  the  familiar  spot. 

How  changed  it  all  was!  The  ashes  alone  marked 
the  ruins  of  the  home,  and  appeared  almost  ghost- 
like in  the  night.  Not  a  sound  could  be  heard, 
however,  and  in  a  moment  Jeremiah  indicated  by  a 
gentle  pressure  of  the  hand  that  they  must  go  on. 

With  a  sigh,  which  he  could  not  entirely  repress, 
Jairus  resumed  his  efforts,  and  slowly  they  withdrew 


132 


^^yo  young  patriots. 


from  the  spot  and  again  started  towards  the  shore 
of  the  lake. 

There  was  a  lump  in  his  throat  which  he  could 
not  swallow.  The  vision  of  his  mother  rose  before 
him  just  as  she  had  stood  in  the  doorway  when  the 
boys  started  forth  on  their  search  for  the  dead 
panther's  mate.  And  now  his  mother  was  gone, 
the  home  was  burned,  the  sheep  slaughtered,  and 
Samuel  was  in  the  British  camp. 

He  felt  as  if  he  could  not  leave  the  spot  without 
some  word  from  his  mother.  Was  she  living  or 
dead  ?  Had  she  escaped  from  the  house,  and  was 
she  even  now  wandering  somewhere  in  the  forest } 

The  mournful  hooting  of  an  owl,  overhead,  almost 
made  Jairus  turn  back,  it  came  to  him  so  unexpect- 
edly. Was  he  trying  to  escape  from  his  duty  ? 
Ought  he  to  remain  and  make  a  further  search  for 
the  missing  woman } 

Perhaps  his  footsteps  faltered,  or  he  disclosed  his 
feelings  in  some  manner,  for  Jeremiah  stopped  and 
whispered:  "We'll  keep  on  to  the  shore,  my  lad, 
and  when  we're  once  there  we'll  talk  it  over,  and 
see  what's  the  very  best  thing  to  try.  Keep  on  neow, 
though,  or  we'll  never  be  able  to  do  anythin'  fer 
ye,  or  fer  yer  mother,  either." 

Jairus  made  no  reply,  but  the  determined  manner 
in  which  he  resumed  his  labors  clearly  showed  that 
his  hesitation  was  gone,  and  that  all  his  powers 
would  be  concentrated  upon  the  work  immediately 
before  them. 


'SSSlk 


THE  DIFFICULTIES  ARE  INCREASED. 


•33 


>  the  shore 

li  he  could 
rose  before 
^  when  the 
the  dead 
was  gone, 
itered,  and 

pot  without 
e  living  or 
se,  and  was 
he  forest  ? 
ead,  almost 
0  unexpect- 
his  duty  ? 
■  search  for 

isclosed  his 
topped  and 
re,  my  lad, 
t  over,  and 
ep  on  neow, 
mythin'  fer 

led  manner 
howed  that 
his  powers 
mmediately 


Both  Jeremiah  and  Jairus  were  practised  woods- 
men, and  the  forest  had  few  secrets  for  them. 
Confidently  they  went  on  now,  for  no  signs  had 
been  seen  that  their  escape  had  been  discovered. 
Indeed,  the  prevailing  silence  seemed  to  be  deeper 
than  before,  and  for  several  minutes  they  increased 
their  speed,  and  at  last  stood  on  the  summit  of  a 
little  knoll  from  which,  through  the  open  spaces 
between  the  trees  of  the  forest,  they  could  catch 
little  glimmerings  of  the  lake,  which  was  now  not 
far  distant. 

Here  they  halted  for  a  breathing  spell.  Both 
were  well  satisfied  that  they  were  not  being  pur- 
sued, and  the  little  birch-bark  canoe  lay  not  many 
yards  away. 

"  Now,  Jairus,"  whispered  Jeremiah,  "  yer  mother's 
got  away  long  afore  this,  or  else  she's  where  ye  can't 
help  her." 

Jairus  shuddered  slightly  as  he  replied,  "I'm 
afraid  it's  so— I'm  afraid  it's  so.  Still  I  think  I'd 
better  wait  here  a  day  or  two,  and  let  you  go  back 
to  Ty.  You're  needed  there,  and  I'm  needed  here. 
The  Indians  will  be  gone  in  a  day  or  two,  and  if 
Arthur  Goodwin  was  with  them,  he'll  know  what's 
become  of  my  mother." 

"Yes,  but  what'll  ye  do?  How'll  ye  find  out 
from  him  ?  " 

"  I'll  go  back  into  Burgoyne's  camp." 
"And  tell  the  Panther  and  David   Jones  ye've 
come  back  to  take  yer  medicine  like  a  good  little 


^i 


134 


TfVO    YOUXG  PATRIOTS. 


Ij 


I, 


man  ?  They'll  want  to  know  where  you've  been, 
and  you  won't  need  to  tell  'em,  either.  You  know 
what  a  good  time  Nathan  Hale  had,  don't  you  ? " 

"Yes,  the  British  hung  him  after  the  battle  of 
Long  Island." 

"  And  you  want  to  go  and  do  likewise,  do  you } 
I'm  surprised  at  you,  I  am,  indeed." 

"  But  what  can  I  do,  Jeremiah .?  You  wouldn't 
want  me  to  run  away  and  leave  my  mother  here  for 
these  redcoats  and  redskins,  would  you }  Sam's 
where  he  can't  be  of  any  use  to  her,  and  if  mother's 
anywhere  around  here,  I  ought  to  help  her  out." 

"  Yes,  by  placing  yourself  jest  where  Sam  is ;  that 
is.  if  you're  lucky  enough  to  get  past  all  these  var- 
mints in  the  woods,  which,  as  my  humble  opinion  is, 
you'd  never  do." 

"  What  can  I  do,  then  ? "  persisted  the  troubled 
boy.  "  I  can't  go  away  with  the  possibility  that 
she's  lost  somewhere  around  here,  and  no  one  to 
help  her." 

"  No  more  you  can't,  my  lad,"  replied  Jeremiah 
soberly.  "  Neow  jest  let's  look  at  the  facts  a  mi  nit, 
jest  as  they  be.     First  of  all,  your  house  is  gone." 

"  Yes,  and  my  mother's  gone,  too,"  interrupted 
Jairus. 

"  Jest  hold  on  a  bit,  till  we  git  all  the  facts,  for 
facts  is  what  we  want.  The  house  is  gone,  as  I 
said.  Neow  heow  did  it  go  ?  By  fire.  Heow  did 
the  fire  start }  Some  one  set  it,  most  likely.  Who's 
most  likely  to  set  it  ?     Who'd  know  the  most  about 


SBBSS: 


THE   DIFFICULTIES  ARE   INCkEASFP. 


135 


I've  been, 
'^ou  know 
you  r 
battle  of 

;,  do  you  ? 

wouldn't 
;r  here  for 
1  ?  Sam's 
E  mother's 
r  out." 
m  is;  that 
these  var- 
^pinion  is, 

;  troubled 
bility  that 
no  one  to 

Jeremiah 
ts  a  mi  nit, 
s  gone." 
aterrupted 

i  facts,  for 
rone,  as  I 
Heow  did 
iy.  Who's 
nost  about 


your  bein' likely  to  come  back  to  this  'ere  place.'' 
Who'd  be  on  the  lookout  for  you  "i  Tell  me  that, 
will  you  "i  " 

"  Probably  Arthur  Goodwin." 

"  Right,  my  son,  right.  Neow  Arthur  Goodwin's 
the  son  o'  his  pa,  which  means  a  good  deal.  He'd 
burn  your  very  heouse  up,  but  he's  been  a  visitin' 
here  fer  a  month  er  two.  Neow  tell  me,  do  ye 
honestly  think  he'd  harm  your  ma .''     Would  he  }  " 

"  No.  I  don't  think  he  would.  He  hates  us  boys, 
but  I  can't  believe  he  would  willingly  see  any  harm 
come  to  my  mother." 

"  That's  sense.  Well,  Arthur  Goodwin  had  some- 
thin'  to  do  with  that  'ere  fire.  But  he'd  look  out  fer 
ycur  ma.  He'd  take  her  to  the  British  camp,  where 
hvre's  lots  o'  good  women,  I'm  told,  or  else  he'd 
£  ::ort  to  Sam,  who's  there  now  and  in  a  good  deal 
better  shape  to  keep  her  than  you'd  be  if  you  was 
seen  there.  You'd  be  strung  up,  or  else  the  Panther 
would  get  after  you,  and  either  of  them  things  is 
worse  than  the  other.  But  my  humble  opinion  is 
that  you'd  never  live  to  see  your  ma,  or  Sam,  or  the 
camp.  There's  somethin'  atween  here  and  there 
which  will  stand  in  the  way  o'  that." 

As  Jairus  still  hesitated,  Jeremiah  continued: 
"  And  then  your  ma  can  do  some  things  fer  her- 
self. I  know  her,  and  she  won't  give  in  in  a 
minit.  No,  sir.  She  can  take  care  o'  herself  if 
anybody  can,  and  while  she  may  have  a  hard  rub 
of  it,  you  mark  my  words,  what  she  wants  o'  you 


136 


7'iyo   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


jest  at  the  present  time  is  to  leave  her  to  herselT 
and  Sam.  You'll  make  matters  a  good  deal  worse 
by  tryin'  to  put  your  finger  in  the  pie.  If  she 
was  here,  she'd  be  a  sayin', '  Jeremiah  Thatcher  talks 
sense.  He  alius  talks  sense,  and  Jairus,  my  boy, 
you  go  along  with  him  and  mind  your  bis'ness, 
and  I'll  mind  mine.' " 

Jairus  still  hesitated.  He  could  not  bring  himself 
to  the  thought  of  what  to  him  seemed  like  the 
desertion  of  his  mother;  and  yet  he  knew  there 
was  sound  sense  in  much  that  his  companion  had 
said.  He  would,  in  all  likelihood,  be  taken  by  the 
Indians,  or  regarded  in  no  friendly  light  by  the 
British,  if  he  were  so  fortunate  as  to  be  able  to 
return  to  Burgoyne's  camp. 

The  immediate  decision  was  made  for  him,  how 
ever,  and  in  an  unexpected  manner ;  for,  while  he 
was  hesitating,  Jeremiah  suddenly  grasped  his  arm 
and  said,  "  Look   there !     Look  there !   will   you  ? 
There's  the  sheep-pen  goin'  up  in  the  air." 

Jairus  turned  quickly  and  glanced  behind  him 
in  the  direction  indicated  by  his  companion.  Far 
away,  as  it  seemed,  a  dull  glow  appeared  above 
the  outlines  of  the  forest.  Even  while  he  looked, 
the  glow  increased,  and  darting  flames  could  be 
seen  leaping  towards  the  sky. 

"It's  the  sheep-pen!  It  is  the  sheep-pent"  he 
said  hurriedly. 

"In  course  it's  the  sheep-pen,"  replied  Jeremiah. 
"  The  rascals  have  probably  crept  up  and  shot  some 


>  herseir 
al  worse 
If  she 
ler  talks 
my  boy, 
bis'ness, 

;  himself 
like  the 
iw  there 
lion  had 
1  by  the 
by  the 
able  to 

im,  how 
vhile  he 
his  arm 
ill   you? 

ind  him 
)n.  Far 
d  above 
looked, 
ould  be 

enr"  he 

eremiah. 
lot  some 


THE  DtFFTCVT.TIEU  ARE  INCREAUKD. 


137 


buinin'  arrows  into  it,  or  set  fire  to  it  close  to  the 
ground.  Jest  as  like  as  not  they're  a  hangin'  round 
waitin'  for  us  to  come  out  and  be  caught,  the  way 
a  boy  does  when  he  drowns  out  a  woodchuck. 
There !  hear  that  yell,  will  you !  That's  what  you'd 
get  if  you  only  hung  around  here  long  enough,  and 
you  wouldn't  hear  it  long,  either.  No,  sir!  I  tell 
you  we  crawled  out  jest  in  the  nick  o'  time ! " 

Jairus  listened,  and  it  did  seem  as  if  he  could 
hear  the  sound  of  distant  shouts.  Perhaps  it  was 
his  imagination,  he  thought,  but  there  was  no  de- 
ception about  the  fire.  The  glow  steadily  increased, 
and  each  moment  the  flames  seemed  to  dart  higher 
and  higher.  The  sheep-pen  was  burning  and  the 
besiegers  either  were  waiting  for  them  to  come  forth 
and  surrender,  or  had  already  discovered  the  means 
by  which  they  had  made  their  escape.  In  the  latter 
case,  it  might  be  that  they  were  already  in  pursuit, 
while  they  were  stupidly  waiting  for  them  to  come 
near. 

As  if  to  give  added  force  to  the  last  suggestion, 
Jeremiah  suddenly  whispered,  "  Hark !  I  thought  I 
heard  somethin'.  Come  on,  Jairus!  This  is  no 
place  for  us  to  be  a  waitin'  in.  Let's  make  for  that 
canoe ! " 

Jairus  instantly  followed  his  companioi.  as  he 
swiftly  made  his  way  down  to  the  shore.  As  they 
ran,  it  seemed  to  them  as  if  multitudes  were  in 
pursuit.  Over  the  fallen  logs,  through  the  rough 
bushes,  they  made  their  way,  not  even  stopping  to 


A- 


MM 


I 


I3« 


Ttl'O   YOVNG  PATRIOTS. 


glance  behind  them.  I{ven  Jeremiah's  customary 
prudence  had  ajjparently  been  cast  aside  in  his 
eagerness  to  gain  possession  of  the  birc;i-bark 
canoe,  and  seek  the  shelter  which  the  darkt.ess  and 
the  lake  together  might  offer. 

Jeremiah  was  the  first  to  gain  the  shore,  but 
Jairus  was  close  behind,  and  as  he  approached  he 
was  startled  by  a  sudden  exclamation  of  his  com- 
panion :  — 

"Gum!" 

"What  is  it,  Jeremiah?" 

"  The  canoe's  gone." 

Jairus  quickly  looked  in  the  place  where  the 
canoe  had  been  hidden.  A  brief  investigation  con- 
firmed  the  truth  of  Jeremiah's  words.  The  canoe 
was  indeed  gone;  and  rising  from  his  knees,  his 
heart  filled  now  with  the  thought  of  a  new  fear, 
Jairus  turned  and  looked  at  his  companion  in  the 
dim  light  on  the  shore. 


rustomary 
je  in  his 
l.)irc;i-bark 
kt.ess  and 


shore,  but 
Dached  he 
I  his  com- 


where  the 
;ation  con- 
rhe  canoe 
knees,  his 
new  fear, 
ion  in  the 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE    FALL   OF   THE    OLD    FORT. 

It  was  from  Grown  Point  that  General  Burgoyne 
had  sent  forth  his  pompous  proclamation,  to  which 
we  have  already  referred.  The  few  Americans  who 
had  formed  the  garrison  there  had  quickly  aban- 
doned the  fort  and  retreated  to  Ticonderoga  on  the 
approach  of  the  British. 

The  invading  army  had  at  once  taken  possession 
of  the  place  and  made  arrangements  to  establish  a 
hospital  there,  although  in  their  confidence  they 
expected  there  would  be  but  a  slight  need  for  any 
such  institution.  A  magazine  and  stores  were  also 
provided  before  the  army  began  its  operations 
against  the  more  formidable  fort  at  Ticonderoga. 

All  were  confident,  and  the  fact  that  no  resistance 
had  been  made  at  Crown  Point  gave  them  the 
impression  that  they  would  meet  with  slight  oppo- 
sition on  their  onward  march. 

The  division  in  which  Samuel  Goodwin  unfortu- 
nately found  himself  was  under  the  command  of 
General  Fraser,  who,  next  to  Burgoyne,  was  looked 
upon   as  the  ablest  general  in  the   British  army. 

139 


i 


140 


TfVO   YOVNG  PATRIOTS. 


Some  light  infantry,  .grenadiers,  Canadians,  and 
Indians  made  up  the  bulk  of  the  division,  and  they 
had  ten  pieces  of  light  artillery  with  which  to  en- 
force any  demands  they  might  make  upon  the  con- 
fused and  frightened  Americans. 

They  had  encamped  at  the  mouth  of  Putnam's 
creek  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake,  and  then  moved 
up  to  Four  Mile  Point,  which,  as  its  name  suggested, 
was  only  four  miles  from  Fort  Ticonderoga,  the  first 
important  place  to  be  gained  by  Burgoyne's  army. 

The  Hessians,  at  the  same  time  when  General 
Fraser  began  to  move,  advanced  along  the  eastern 
shore  under  the  leadership  of  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Brayman,  while  all  the  remainder  of  the  army,  of 
which  General  John  Burgoyne  himself  had  com- 
mand, were  on  board  the  gunboats,  the  frigates,  and 
the  Royal  George,  and  over  the  water  had  moved 
up  between  the  two  divisions  on  the  shores. 

When  the  forces  on  the  land  halted,  the  boats 
came  to  anchor  just  out  of  the  range  of  the  cannon 
of  the  fort. 

The  scouts  soon  brought  the  British  general 
information  that  Sugar  Loaf  Hill  (later  called 
Mount  Defiance)  and  Mount  Hope  (said  to  have 
been  so  called  by  the  British  because  of  the  "  hope" 
it  gave  them  of  an  easy  and  speedy  advance)  had 
been  left  without  guards  by  the  Americans,  and 
Burgoyne  was  not  long  in  deciding  that  these  were 
the  very  positions  he  wanted  for  himself,  and  so 
prepared  at  once  to  gain  possession  of  them. 


THE  FALL   OF  THE  OLD  FORT. 


141 


ians,  and 
and  they 
:h  to  en- 

the  con- 
Putnam's 
;n  moved 
uggested, 
I,  the  first 
s  army. 

General 
e  eastern 
t-Colonel 
army,  of 
lad  com- 
ates,  and 
d  moved 
t. 

he  boats 
e  cannon 

general 
vc  called 

to  have 
e " hope" 
ince)  had 
:ans,  and 
ese  were 
,  and  so 
n. 


Mount  Independence  was  in  reality  the  strong 
garrison  of  the  Americans.  It  was  stronger  than 
Ticonderoga,  and  much  better  supplied  with  pro- 
visions. Batteries  guarded  its  approaches,  and  it  was 
fairly  well  supplied  with  artillery.  There  was  also 
a  strong  abatis  next  to  the  water,  and  on  the  north- 
western side  the  foot  of  the  hill  was  strongly  en- 
trenched. From  the  entrenchments  great  cannon 
pointed  down  the  lake,  and  were  ready  to  challenge 
the  approach  of  any  foe ;  and  near  the  point,  by  the 
mouth  of  East  creek,  there  was  a  great  circular 
battery. 

All  these  defences  were  comparatively  strong; 
but,  as  we  know,  the  men  were  not  well  equipped, 
and  clothing,  ammunition,  and  food,  to  say  nothing 
of  reinforcements  when  they  should  be  needed,  were 
sadly  wanting. 

Nor  were  there  men  enough  to  look  well  to 
the  lines.  Nine  hundred  of  them  were  militia, 
and  it  is  said  that  not  one  in  ten  had  bayonets  for 
their  guns;  while  the  two  thousand  five  hundred 
and  forty-six  Continentals  were  not  in  a  much  better 
condition,  so  negligent  had  Congress  been. 

It  was  on  the  2d  of  July,  1777,  when  the  right 
wing  of  the  British  moved  forward  and  the  Ameri- 
cans prepared  to  resist  what  they  believed  and 
hoped  would  be  a  direct  attack  upon  the  fort. 

If  General  St.  Clair  could  only  have  chosen  the 
method  by  which  the  British  would  attack  him,  he 
might  have  made  a  successful  resistance ;  but  unfort- 


149 


riyo   YOUi\G   PATRIOTS. 


...    ..JMi*4-' 


unately  the  enemy  selected  their  own  plans  in  plrce 
of  his,  and  as  a  consequence  the  Americans  suffered 
far  more  than  a  mere  disappointment,  as  we  shall 
soon  see. 

The  outlying  Americans  made  but  a  feeble  resist- 
ance, and  soon  abandoned  the  outposts,  although 
they  endeavored  to  set  fire  to  them  before  they 
withdrew.  The  bold  rocky  crag,  six  hundred  feet 
above  the  clear  waters  of  the  lakes,  was  soon  in  pos- 
session of  the  enemy,  and  they  at  once  prepared  to 
follow  up  the  advantage  in  a  manner  wholly  unex- 
pected by  the  defenders  of  Ticonderoga. 

None  of  the  Americans  had  believed  this  place 
could  be  occupied  by  the  British.  They  knew,  it  is 
true,  that  if  artillery  could  only  be  planted  there, 
it  would  drive  them  from  every  place  they  held. 
They  had  been  warned  repeatedly  of  the  danger, 
but  not  deeming  it  possible  that  cannon  could  be 
dragged  up  its  steep  and  rocky  slopes,  they  had 
given  the  matter  little  thought. 

The  British  engineer.  Lieutenant  Twiss,  studied 
it  carefully,  however,  and  reported  what  he  had  dis- 
covered to  the  British  generals,  Fraser  and  Phillips. 

The  latter  officer  was  a  man  of  quick  decision 
and  prompt  action,  and  declared  that  "Where  a 
goat  can  go,  a  man  can  go ;  and  where  a  man  can 
go,  he  can  haul  a  cannon." 

There  was  a  deep  defile,  which  shielded  the 
British  from  the  view  of  the  garrison,  and  Phillips's 
men   at   once   began   to   work    night   and   day   in 


THE  FAI.I.   Oh    THE   OLD   FONT. 


•43 


IS  in  plrce 
IS  suffered 
>  we  shall 

ible  resist- 
although 
efore  they 
ndred  feet 
on  in  pos- 
•epared  to 
oily  unex- 

this  place 
knew,  it  is 
ted  there, 
they  held, 
le  danger, 
1  could  be 
they   had 

ss,  studied 
e  had  dis- 
d  Phillips. 
:  decision 
Where  a 
.  man  can 

ielded  the 
I  Phillips's 
id  day   in 


breaking  a  pathway,  and  hauling  up  the  heavy 
cannon. 

They  worked,  we  are  told,  "  like  beavers,"  or  as 
beavers  are  said  to  work,  without  cessation ;  and  we 
can  well  imagine  the  surprise  and  consternation  of 
the  Americans  when  in  the  early  morning  light  of 
the  5th  of  July,  1777,  they  looked  up  to  the  crag, 
which  General  Fraser  in  his  confidence  had  now 
named  Mount  Defiance,  and  saw  it  swarming  with 
the  red-coated  enemy. 

And  something  besides  men  was  there,  too. 
Great  cannon  looked  down  upon  the  fort,  and  there 
was  not  a  place  within  the  garrison  which  they 
could  not  sweep.  Every  man  could  be  counted  by 
the  enemy  on  the  heights,  and  every  movement 
could  be  plainly  seen.  Something  must  be  done, 
and  at  once. 

General  St.  Clair,  greatly  chagrined  and  disturbed, 
we  may  be  sure,  hastily  called  a  council  of  his  offi- 
cers and  began  to  discuss  what  was  best  to  be 
done;  but  in  whichever  way  they  turned  their 
eyes,  they  withdrew  them  again,  to  gaze  at  that 
terrible  sight  on  the  height  above. 

They  might  fight.  Men  always  can  do  that,  but 
there  is  slight  advantage  to  be  gained  by  fight- 
ing, unless  there  is  something  worth  fighting  for. 
There  were  not  soldiers  enough  tp  man  the  de- 
fences well,  and  when  the  action  began,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  work  night  and  day,  and  all  the 
time  they  would   be  exposed   to   the   terrible  fire 


144 


riyo  vouivo  patkiots. 


of  those  awful  guns  gazing  down  at  them  from 
above. 

Nor  could  any  aid  reasonably  be  expected  from 
without.  General  Schuyler  was  at  Fort  Edward, 
but  he  did  not  have  enough  men  in  his  command 
to  permit  him  to  send  any  for  the  relief  of  the  fort, 
and,  besides,  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  get 
word  to  him  in  time. 

Within  the  space  of  another  day  the  British 
would  have  their  work  completed.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  dislodge  them  now,  and  as  soon  as  their 
work  should  be  completed,  then  all  they  would 
have  to  do  would  be  to  shoot  down  upon  the 
defenceless  men,  and  demolish  their  defences  at 
their  leisure. 

General  St.  Clair  was  a  brave  man.  No  one  to- 
day doubts  that,  but  he  had  made  the  mistake  of 
not  preparing  for  this  very  emergency.  Great  as 
his  mistake  was,  however,  that  of  Congress  had 
been  greater,  and  by  their  neglect  and  delay  in 
providing  men  and  supplies,  they  had  left  the  little 
garrison  in  a  terrible  plight.  He  could  remain  and 
fight,  but  the  end  would  be  that  both  his  men  and 
his  fort  would  be  lost. 

On  the  other  hand,  he  might  withdraw  his  forces, 
and  while  h^  could  not  save  Ticonderoga,  he  might 
be  able  to  save  his  men.  He  knew  he  would  be 
misjudged  and  blamed,  but  at  last  he  arrived  at  a 
decision.  It  was  better  to  suffer  himself  than  to 
permit  his  men  to  remain  for  certain  destruction, 


them  from 

lected  from 
rt  Edward, 
>  command 
of  the  fort, 
ibie  to  get 

the  British 
was  impos- 
m  as  their 
they  would 
upon  the 
lefences  at 

No  one  to- 
mistake  of 
Great  as 
ngress  had 
d  delay  in 
;ft  the  little 
remain  and 
is  men  and 

f  his  forces, 
a,  he  might 
;  would  be 
irrived  at  a 
elf  than  to 
destruction, 


r//E  FALL   OF   THE   OLD  FOKT. 


I4S 


and  like  the  brave  man  that  he  was,  he  calmly  and 
decidedly  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  place 
should  be  evacuated. 

His  proposal  was  at  once  agreed  to.  The  can- 
non which  could  not  be  moved  were  to  be  spiked, 
and  so  rendered  useless  for  the  invaders.  Each 
soldier  was  to  provide  himself  with  provisions  for 
several  days,  the  lights  were  to  be  put  out  before 
the  tents  were  struck,  and  to  make  the  British 
believe  that  they  were  intending  to  try  to  defend 
the  fort,  a  continuous  firing  from  the  battery  near- 
est Mount  Hope  was  to  be  kept  up;  and  then  in 
the  night  they  were  all  silently  to  withdraw  and 
abandon  the  place. 

Of  course  there  was  great  consternation  and  con- 
fusion in  the  American  camp.  Fears  of  an  im- 
mediate attack  made  the  men  timid,  and  not  all 
the  orders  were  understood.  It  had  been  ar-ang  :d 
to  place  all  the  baggage  and  stores  that  coald  be 
collected  on  board  of  twc  hundred  bateaux  and  send 
them  up  to  Skenesborough  (Whitehall)  under  the 
protection  of  five  armed  galleys,  while  the  army 
was  to  proceed  by  land,  marching  by  the  v.ay  of 
Castleton  to  the  same  place. 

It  had  also  been  planned  not  to  let  the  men 
know  of  the  movement  until  after  the  evening 
orders  had  been  given ;  but  the  project  could  not 
entirely  be  kept  secret,  and  alarm  :x'\A  confusion  at 
once  followed. 

At  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  evacua- 


146 


jiyo    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


tion  was  begun.  There  was  a  full  moon,  but  it 
was  hoped  the  light  would  not  be  sufificient  to  en- 
able the  British  to  see  their  movements.  Careful 
orders  had  been  given  as  to  the  lights,  and  all  the 
camp-fires  had  been  extinguished. 

Only  an  hour  after  the  movement  began,  a  house 
caught  fire.  Some  say  that  General  de  Fermoy, 
regardless  of  orders,  was  to  be  blamed  for  this,  and 
that  as  soon  as  his  troops  left,  he  kindled  the  blaze 
himself.  Others,  however,  say  that  it  was  purely 
a  matter  of  accident,  and  that  in  the  haste  and 
confusion  of  the  departure  it  was  all  the  result  of 
carelessness. 

Whatever  the  cause,  the  building  was  soon  in 
flames,  and  in  the  light  it  afforded,  the  British 
sentinels  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  last  body  of  men 
just  as  they  left  the  fort  and  disappeared  from 
sight  within  the  dark  shadows  of  the  forest. 

The  alarm  guns  of  the  sentinels  at  once  in- 
formed the  invaders  of  the  action  of  the  Americans, 
and  the  fact  that  they  knew  their  retreat  had  been 
discovered  greatly  increased  the  confusion  and 
alarm  among  the  departing  troops. 

Scarcely  an  hour  had  passed,  and  the  sun  was 
just  beginning  to  appear  above  the  eastern  hills, 
.  when  General  Eraser's  men  raised  the  British  flag 
over  Old  Fort  Ticonderoga,  which  now  for  the  third 
time  in  its  history  passed  into  the  possession  of  an 
enemy  without  a  drop  of  blood  having  been  shed. 
In   1759   the   English   under  General    Amherst 


THE  FALL   OF  THE   OLD  FORT. 


147 


moon,  but  it 
fificient  to  en- 
;nts.  Careful 
s,  and  all  the 

egan,  a  house 
I  de  Fermoy, 
\  for  this,  and 
lied  the  blaze 
it  was  purely 
he  haste  and 
the  result  of 

was  soon  in 
i,  the  British 
t  body  of  men 
.ppeared  from 
forest. 

s  at  once  in- 
he  Americans, 
reat  had  been 
:onfusion   and 

J  the  sun  was 
;  eastern  hills, 
he  British  flag 
w  for  the  third 
assession  of  an 
g  been  shed, 
iieral    Amherst 


had  captured  it  without  the  loss  of  a  man;  in  1775 
Colonel  Ethan  Allen  had  led  the  New  England 
provincials  against  it  and  gained  possession  without 
a  gun  having  been  fired.  And  now  for  the  third 
time  it  fell  in  a  similar  manner  into  the  possession 
of  General  John  Burgoyne. 

But  the  British  this  time  were  not  satisfied  with  the 
mere  fact  of  possession.  General  Eraser  with  nine 
hundred  men,  among  whom  were  Lieutenant  David 
Jones  and  the  unwilling  private  Samuel  Goodwin, 
started  in  swift  pursuit  of  the  retreating  Americans. 
The  Baron  de  Piedesel  was  soon  sent  to  support 
Eraser,  while  General  Burgoyne,  after  leaving  about 
a  thousand  men  to  garrison  the  fort  which  had 
fallen  so  easily  into  his  hands,  started  up  the  lake 
with  the  main  body  of  his  confident  and  victorious 
army. 

The  Americans  had  made  a  strong  boom  at  Ticon- 
deroga,  and  thought  that  pursuit  by  water  would  be 
almost  impossible ;  but  long  before  noon  the  eager 
British  had  made  an  opening  and  cleared  the  way, 
and  their  flotilla,  crowding  on  all  sail,  started  after 
the  two  hundred  bateaux  on  which  so  much  of  the 
baggage  and  stores  of  the  retreating  Americans  had 
been  placed.  And  so  successful  were  the  British, 
that  before  the  sun  set  all  these  stores  had  been 
destroyed. 

General  Eraser's  division,  meanwhile,  was  in 
swift  pursuit  of  the  Americans,  who  were  retreating 
among  the  Green   Hills,  and  were  confident  that 


!j 


i;ti 


li 


148  TH^O   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 

they  would  soon  overtake  the  fleeing  and  demoral- 
ized men. 

In  spite  of  all  his  watchfulness,  Samuel  Goodwin 
had  not  found  an  opportunity  to  escape  from  the 
British  army.  Here  he  was  in  hot  pursuit  of  his 
own  countrymen,  and  his  heart  was  heavy  when  he 
thought  of  the  misfortunes  which  already  had  be- 
fallen them,  and  of  the  worse  disasters  which  he 
feared  might  yet  be  in  store. 

"  Fine  body,  that  of  St.  Clair's!"  laughed  Lieuten- 
ant David  as  for  a  time  he  marched  beside  Samuel. 
"  They  fight  like  a  flock  of  ducks.  It  won't  be  possi- 
ble soon  to  find  a  feather.  I  shouldn't  be  surprised 
if  by  the  time  we  get  to  Hubbardton  there  wouldn't 
be  a  man  left  in  the  American  army." 

Samuel  made  no  reply,  and  indeed  it  seemed  to 
him  just  then  that  there  was  no  reply  to  be  made. 
He  was  discouraged  and  disheartened,  and  the  taunts 
of  David  apparently  rested  on  a  true  foundation. 
Still  he  was  not  entirely  in  despair.  He  carefully 
tried  to  conceal  his  real  feelings,  well  knowing  that 
after  Jairus's  escape  his  own  actions  would  be  care- 
fully watched. 

The  victorious  army  took  but  little  time  for  halts 
or  rest.  They  were  all  eager  now  to  follow  up  their 
successful  work  and,  by  striking  one  quick  blow,  at 
the  same  time  destroy  St.  Clair's  army  and  open  up 
the  way  for  the  union  of  Burgoyne's  army  with  that 
of  Sir  Menry  Clinton's,  and  so  divide  and  practically 
destroy  the  confederacy  and  rebellion. 


IbetS 


id  demoral- 

el  Goodwin 
)e  from  the 
rsuit  of  his 
vy  when  he 
idy  had  he- 
's which  he 

led  Lieuten- 
ide  Samuel. 
>n't  be  possi- 
be  surprised 
are  wouldn't 

t  seemed  to 
to  be  made, 
id  the  taunts 
foundation, 
-le  carefully 
nowing  that 
uld  be  care- 

me  for  halts 
low  up  their 
lick  blow,  at 
md  open  up 
ny  with  that 
id  practically 


THE  FA  LI.   OF  THE   OLD  FORT. 


149 


On  the  T.iorning  of  the  7th  of  July  General 
Eraser's  army  was  within  sight  of  the  retreating 
Americans  at  Hubbardton,  and  with  a  heavy  heart 
Samuel  Goodwin  realized  that  another  engagement 
was  about  to  take  place,  and  that  before  it  was  ended 
he  doubtless  would  see  many  of  his  own  countrymen 
fall.     And  he  must  do  his  share  in  the  battle. 


I 


'1 


lH«E^ 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  BOLD  YOUNG  SERGEANT. 

The  thoughts  of  the  trembling  young  soldier 
were  recalled  from  the  scene  before  him  by  some 
one  touching  him  upon  the  arm.  Turning  about,  he 
saw  standing  before  him  a  red-coated  soldier  not 
much  older  than  he,  who  was  gazing  curiously  at 
him. 

"  Is  this  young  Goodwin  ? "  the  stranger  asked 
ufter  the  pause  of  a  moment. 

"  That's  my  name,"  replied  Samuel,  returning  the 
glance.    "  What  do  you  want  of  me  ? " 

He  tried  to  speak  as  if  he  were  not  concerned  by 
the  unexpected  salutation,  but  in  spite  of  all  his 
efforts  his  cheeks  became  pale  as  he  thought  of  a 
possible  detection  now.  Even  the  excitement  of  the 
approaching  engagement  was  forgotten  for  the  mo- 
ment, and  he  began  to  picture  the  troubles  into 
which  he  might  be  led.  Perhaps  it  was  now  known 
who  he  was,  and  the  British  might  think,  he  was 
there  to  obtain  information  for  the  other  side. 

All  sorts  of  conjectures  were  passing  rapidly 
through  his  mind.     It  was  distasteful,  this  passing 

ISO 


THE  BOLD   YOUNG  SERGEANT. 


151 


ing  soldier 
m  by  some 
ig  about,  he 
soldier  not 
uriously  at 

nger  asked 

turning  the 

ncerned  by 
of  all  his 
ought  of  a 
ment  of  the 
or  the  mo- 
oubles  into 
now  known 
ink.  he  was 
side. 

ng  rapidly 
his  passing 


even  in  the  army  of  the  enemy  for  some  one  he  was 
not,  but  up  to  this  time  he  had  never  considered  his 
position  as  an  especially  dangerous  one. 

Troubled  as  he  was,  he  was  hardly  prepared  for 
the  reply  of  the  young  sergeant,  for  such  he  proved 
to  be,  when  he  said :  — 

"You're  to  come  with  me.  I've  a  letter  from 
your  father." 

"  A  letter  from  my  father ! "  said  the  astonished 
Samuel.    "  Why,  my  father's  —  " 

In  a  moment  he  recovered  himself  and  stopped 
abruptly.  He  had  been  about  to  explain  that  his 
father  was  dead,  when  he  suddenly  bethought  him- 
self and  waited  for  the  stranger  to  go  on.  It  might 
be  better  to  let  another  speak  rather  than  talk  too 
much  himself. 

"Yes,  yes,  I  know,"  said  the  young  sergeant 
quickly.  "  He's  up  at  St.  John's,  and  you  had  no 
thought  of  a  word  from  him.  That's  all  right,  my 
boy,  that's  all  right." 

Samuel  kept  himself  from  smiling  at  the  fatherly 
air  of  the  young  officer,  who  could  not  be  more  than 
two  or  three  years  older  than  he.  He  only  turned 
aside  his  head  and  pretended  to  be  watching  the 
lines  in  front  of  him,  and  his  companion  went  on 
without  perceiving  the  effect  of  his  words  upon  the 
young  soldier. 

"  No,  I  don't  think  you  expected  a  message  from 
him,  but  it's  come.  He's  written  us"  (the  young 
sergeant  seemed  to  take  an  especial  delight  in  rolling 


153 


riVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


out  thf  word  "  us")  "that  he  has  another  good-si  ,ed 
band  of  loyalists  to  forward  to  us.  We'll  take  em 
all  right,  though  it  isn't  likely  we  shall  need  any 
more  men,  judging  from  what  has  happened  lately. 
The  Yankees  ran  out  of  old  Ty  like  rats  from  a  hole 
when  you  pour  water  into  it,  and  they  seem  to  have 
been  able  to  keep  up  a  fairly  good  rate  of  speed  ever 
since." 

He  glanced  forward  as  he  spoke  at  the  prepara- 
tions which  were  going  on  for  the  engagement. 

"  What  do  you  want  of  me,  then  ? "  inquired 
Samuel. 

"  Oh,  we  think  we'll  take  the  men.  All  good 
loyalists  are  always  welcome  in  our  camp.  But 
just  now  we  want  to  look  after  supplies  even  more 
than  we  do  men  ;  so  the  general  thinks,  and  I  agree 
with  him,  that  we'd  better  send  your  father  word  to 
that  effect.  Probably  we  shan't  want  them  long, 
for  this  whole  thing  will  be  over  in  a  few  days  now; 
but  it's  well  enough  to  look  to  your  supplies  at  any 
time.  So  I've  thought  it  a  good  thing  to  take  you 
and  go  up  to  see  your  father  and  explain  the  whole 
matter  to  him.  I'm  sorry  to  miss  the  fun  here. 
Indeed,  I  am ! " 

The  manifest  pride  of  the  sergeant  was  all  lost  on 
Samuel,  who  was  trying  to  think  his  way  out  of  the 
new  complications  in  which  he  found  himself.  It 
was  plain  that  he  had  been  mistaken  for  his  cousin 
Arthur,  and  at  first  he  had  felt  inclined  to  set  him- 
self right  in  that  particular;  but  it  instantly  occurred 


\km. 


aiA.'J.iUilili!  UIIII.I.WI..JIM,,  ,11111,1  mMmummmmmmmm 


ate-'n  '-jMii*  au,-L.U-- 


THE  BOLD    YOUNG  SERGEANT. 


t53 


good-si -,ed 
I  take  em 
need  any 
led  lately, 
rom  a  hole 
m  to  have 
speed  ever 

e  prepara- 
ment. 
'  inquired 

All  good 
imp.  But 
even  more 
id  I  agree 
;r  word  to 
hem  long, 
days  now ; 
ies  at  any 

take  you 
the  whole 

fun  here. 

all  lost  on 
out  of  the 
mself.  It 
his  cousin 
)  set  him- 
|r  occurred 


to  him  that  here  was  an  opportunity  which  he 
might  turn  to  his  own  advantage.  If  he  did  not 
inform  the  sergeant  of  his  mistake,  he  doubtless 
would  leave  the  army  with  him,  and  somewhere 
before  they  arrived  at  St.  John's  he  might  be  able  to 
find  a  way  out  of  his  difficulties.  If  not,  he  knew  the 
prospect  when  he  should  stand  before  his  uncle 
would  not  be  very  bright  for  him ;  for  the  hatred 
with  which  he  and  all  his  immediate  family  were 
regarded  was  only  too  well  known  by  him. 

"  You'd  better  go  with  him,  Sam,"  said  Lieuten- 
ant David,  who  had  thought  the  momentary  silence 
of  his  companion  was  due  to  his  desire  to  remain 
with  the  army.  "  This  is  only  going  to  be  a  little 
brush  with  the  Yankees.  One  volley  will  be  all 
they'll  want  or  stand.  If  they  ran  out  of  old  Ty 
without  a  gun  being  fired,  what  will  they  do  when 
they  hear  so  many  go  off  at  once?  I'd  go  with 
him." 

"  Of  course  he'll  go  with  me,"  said  the  young  ser- 
geant pompously.  "  Haven't  I  just  told  him  that 
was  what  I  came  here  for?  I've  had  a  great 
time  finding  him,  too;  but  it'll  be  all  right  now. 
Of  course  he'll  go.  He  hasn't  anything  to  say 
about  that." 

"  When  do  we  start  ? "  asked  Samuel,  again  to  all 
appearances  ignoring  the  manner  of  the  conceited 
young  officer  before  him. 

"  We  go  now.  We'll  start  at  once,  if  you  please. 
We're  in  a  hurry  to  get  this  word  to  your  father,  and 


€ 


'   ill 


154 


riVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


I  am  in  just  as  great  a  hurry  to  get  back  to  the 
army.     I  may  be  needed." 

"  You  surely  will  be,"  said  Samuel  quickly.  "  I 
don't  just  see  how  General  Fraser  will  get  along 
without  you.  Why  don't  you  just  send  me  alone? 
I  can  do  the  work,  and  you'll  be  missed  here." 

Samuel  spoke  eagerly,  too  eagerly,  he  feared, 
when  he  stopped  and  noticed  David  looking  keenly 
at  him. 

"  Oh,  they'll  have  to  get  along  as  best  they  can 
without  me,"  said  the  sergeant,  apparently  not  per- 
ceiving anything  implied  or  concealed  in  Samuel's 
words.  "  It  won't  take  us  long  to  run  down  the 
lake,  and  we'll  soon  have  it  all  fixed  and  be  back  in 
the  ranks  again.  I  can't  let  you  go  alone,  my  boy. 
The  errand's  too  important  to  be  trusted  to  any  but 
experienced  men.  But  you  can  help  me,  my  boy ; 
you  can  help  me,  and  it  may  prove  in  the  end  to  be 
a  good  thing  for  you,  too.  I  certainly  shall  do  all 
in  my  power  to  aid  you  if  you  prove  to  be  as  good 
a  fellow  as  I  hope  you  are.     Come  on ;  we'll  start 


now. 


"  Good  by,  then,  Lieutenant,"  said  Samuel,  turn- 
ing to  his  late  companion.  "  I  hope  we  shan't  be 
gone  long.  I  suppose  we're  to  keep  our  guns, 
aren't  we  ? "  he  added,  turning  again  to  the  sergeant. 

"Certainly,  though  there  won't  be  anything  the 
length  of  Champlain  to  draw  a  shot.  Come  on, 
now.    We've  got  to  trudge  it  out  to  the  lake." 

Samuel    started   obediently,  wondering    at    the 


LliW.'  iimuwii.iiuj.u.ujiu  .u  jii  iii.u.L 


THE  BOI.n   YOUNG  SERGEANT. 


I5S 


ick  to  the 

ickly.  "  I 
get  along 
me  alone  ? 
ere." 

be  feared, 
ing  keenly 

t  they  can 
y  not  per- 
i  Samuel's 
down  the 
36  back  in 
;,  my  boy. 
to  any  but 
,  my  boy; 
:  end  to  be 
>hall  do  all 
be  as  good 
we'll  start 

luel,  turn- 
shan't  be 
our  guns, 
e  sergeant, 
ything  the 
Come  on, 
ake." 
tg    at   the 


eagerness  of  his  companion  to  depart.  They 
walked  rapidly  along  the  rough  road  and  had  not 
gone  far  before  the  sound  of  shots  behind  them 
began  to  be  heard. 

"  There,  they're  at  it ! "  said  Samuel,  stopping  for 
a  moment,  and  listening  to  the  distant  roar  which 
each  moment  grew  louder. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  replied  the  sergeant,  "  but  we  must 
hurry.  We've  lost  too  much  time  already.  Why, 
do  you  know  I  almost  came  to  believe  that  there 
was  no  such  fellow  in  all  the  army  as  Arthur  Good- 
win, it  seemed  to  be  so  difficult  to  find  him  1 " 

The  young  sergeant  spoke  rapidly,  and  there  was 
a  strange  light  in  his  eyes  which  Samuel  suspected 
was  not  born  alone  of  his  desire  to  do  the  errand  on 
which  they  had  started.  His  suspicions  were  in- 
creased as  the  sergeant  broke  into  a  run,  glancing 
quickly  behind  him  at  frequent  intervals,  as  if  he 
feared  the  tide  of  the  battle  might  turn  towards 
them. 

Samuel  was  wise  enough  to  keep  his  thoughts  to 
himself,  however,  and  followed  his  companion  until 
soon  the  sounds  of  the  distant  engagement  became 
fainter  and  fainter,  and  at  last  no  longer  could  be 
heard. 

"  One  volley  didn't  seem  to  scatter  the  Yankees 
this  time,  if  we  can  judge  from  the  way  the  racket 
is  kept  up,"  he  said  at  last,  when  his  breathless 
companion  appeared  to  be  willing  to  abandon  the 
swift  pace  they  had  taken. 


;'l 


1J6  tlVO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 

"  Pooh  !  probably  the  regulars  made  them  run  at 
the  first  fire,  and  have  been  chasing  them  eve'-  since. 
I  should  think  so  from  the  sounds  we  heard.  They 
seemed  to  be  farther  away  all  the  time." 

"  Or  we  were  farther  from  the  sounds,  I  don't 
know  which,"  remarked  Samuel  dryly. 

"  That's  all  right,"  replied  the  sergeant.  "  We've 
kept  up  a  pretty  good  pace,  for  I'm  in  a  hurry  to 
get  back,  you  know.  If  we  keep  this  up,  we'll  be 
back  in  good  season,  though  I'm  afraid  the  whole  of 
Burgoyne's  army  will  be  so  far  away  by  that  time, 
chasing  these  Yankees,  that  we'll  have  to  make  quite  a 
long  trip  to  catch  up  with  them.  If  Sir  Henry  wasn't 
coming  up  the  Hudson  to  meet  us,  I  verily  believe 
we'd  chase  these  rebels  right  down  to  York,  and 
they'd  jump  right  off  into  the  ocean  of  their  own 
accord.  But  there's  one  comfort,  we'd  jump  right 
off  after  'em.  That's  just  what  every  one  of  us 
would  do ! " 

"  That's  what  we  seem  to  be  doing  just  at  present," 
said  Samuel  soberly. 

"  We're  helping  the  good  work  on,"  replied  the 
sergeant  cheerfully.  The  fact  that  the  guns  could 
no  longer  be  heard  appeared  to  have  had  a  very 
marked  effect  on  his  spirits.  "  Now,  I  want  to  tell 
you,  young  Goodwin,  that  I  shan't  stand  on  my 
dignity  while  we're  together  on  this  trip.  Of  course 
when  we  get  back  into  the  ranks  again,  I  shall  expect 
you  to  address  me  as  Sergeant  Richmond.  Even 
General  Fraser  won't  let  his  warmest  friends  call 


«aui-'_c.  .Jii,.,'Ji- 


THE   BOLD   YOUNG  StlliO/lANT. 


157 


lem  run  at 
L*vc'*  since, 
rd.    They 

Is,  I  don't 

"  We've 
a  hurry  to 
p,  we'll  be 
e  whole  of 
that  time, 
ake  quite  a 
;nry  wasn't 
•ily  believe 
York,  and 
their  own 
ump  right 
one  of  us 

it  present," 

replied  the 
guns  could 
lad  a  very 
vant  to  tell 
nd  on  my 
Of  course 
hall  expect 
nd.  Even 
riends  call 


him  by  his  first  name,  and  while  General  Burgoyne 
is  called  '  John  '  and  '  Johnnie '  by  some  of  the  men, 
I  don't  believe  he  likes  it.  I  shouldn't,  I  know.  Still, 
I  don't  mind  it  when  we're  off  together  like  this,  and 
I'll  just  call  you  Arthur,  and  you  can  call  me  Tom  if 
you  like.  Mind  you,  it's  only  while  we're  off  on 
this  trip,  you  know.  I  don't  want  to  put  on  airs, 
that's  against  my  principles,  and  I  don't  want  you 
to  feel  that  you  can't  talk  to  me  as  you  would  to 
any  other  man,  you  know." 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  Samuel,  looking  soberly  at 
his  companion  as  he  spoke. 

"  It's  about  time  we  had  something  to  eat,"  con- 
tinued Sergeant  Tom.  "  I've  got  directions  where 
to  go.  You  see,  there  are  some  true  royalists  all 
along  the  shore  here,  and  they  know  how  to  treat 
His  Majesty's  ofificiers,  too.  Yes,  I  rather  think  this 
is  the  very  place  where  we  are  to  stop,"  he.  added, 
as  he  saw  a  low  house  at  the  fork  in  the  road  before 
them.  "  Now  mind,  you'll  have  to  keep  up  appear- 
ances here,  and  call  me  Sergeant,  you  know,  so  long 
as  we  are  in  the  house.  After  we  go  on,  it  will  be 
all  right  enough  to  speak  of  Tom,  but  not  here." 

Samuel  promised  to  regard  the  position  and  dig- 
nity of  his  companion,  and  the  boys  soon  turned 
into  the  yard  adjoining  the  house.  The  young 
sergeant's  words  seemed  to  produce  the  desired 
effect,  for  a  hearty  breakfast  was  soon  disposed  of 
by  each  of  them. 

As  soon  as  this  was  finished,  Tom  pompously 


1S8 


7irO   YOUNG  rATN/OTS. 


drew  forth  his  wallet  and  paid  their  hostess,  and 
then  they  resumed  their  journey. 

"  There's  a  little  cat-boat  we're  to  have,"  said  Tom. 
"  I  don't  know  whether  1  told  you  or  not,  but  I  know 
just  where  it  is,  and  it's  all  stocked  up  for  us,  too,  or 
it  will  be  as  soon  as  we  get  there.  I've  the  orders  in 
my  pocket,  you  know,"  and  he  slapped  his  side  as  he 
spoke.  "  I  think  we'll  manage  somehow  to  get  a 
little  fun  out  of  it,  and  there'll  be  no  chance  for 
a  rebel  gun  to  do  us  any  damage,  either,  as  the 
lake's  swept  pretty  clear  now  of  all  such  truck  as 
that.  Not  that  I'm  afraid  of  any  gun  a  rebel  ever 
carried,"  he  added  quickly,  apparently  fearful  that 
his  words  might  leave  the  impression  on  his  com- 
panion's mind  that  he  was  glad  to  be  away  from  the 
army.  "  They  don't  seem  to  do  much  damage,  you 
know.  In  fact,  they  don't  ever  seem  to  stop  long 
enough,  those  cowardly  Yankees,  even  to  hold  a  gun 
to  their  shoulders  a  minute." 

Samuel  made  no  reply,  though  he  was  satisfied 
that  the  guns  they  had  heard  had  not  all  been  dis- 
charged by  one  side.  But  his  heart  was  heavy  when 
he  thought  of  the  fleeing  army.  After  all,  what  hope 
was  there  that  the  Continentals  could  ever  make  a 
successful  stand  against  the  well-equipped  and  well- 
trained  forces  of  General  Burgoyne  ?  Must  it  all  end 
in  defeat  and  loss?  Such  misfortunes  as  had  recently 
befallen  them  could  not  go  on  forever,  and  what  the 
end  was  to  be  the  down-hearted  boy  could  not  con- 
jecture, and  his  heart  was  heavy  within  him. 


THE  BOLD   YOUNG  SERGEANT. 


•59 


)stess,  and 

said  Tom. 
»ut  I  know 
us,  too,  or 
_'  orders  in 
side  as  he 
^  to  get  a 
:hance  for 
er,  as  the 
1  truck  as 
rebel  ever 
earful  that 
1  his  com- 
y  from  the 
mage,  you 
stop  long 
lold  a  gun 

s  satisfied 
been  dis- 
eavy  when 
what  hope 
er  make  a 
1  and  well- 
t  it  all  end 
id  recently 
1  what  the 
I  not  con- 
m. 


Then,  too,  there  were  his  mother  and  his  brother. 
Where  they  were,  or  what  had  befallen  them,  he 
did  not  know;  but  his  thoughts  were  busy  with 
them  all  the  time  now.  He  seldom  spoke  to  his 
companion,  and  when  late  in  the  afternoon  the  tired 
boys  drew  near  the  lake,  Tom  said :  "  There  I  There's 
the  lake.  Now  didn't  I  tell  you  I'd  bring  you  all 
safe  and  sound  here }  And  haven't  I  kept  my 
word?  You  can  trust  one  of  His  Majesty's  officers 
every  time,  my  boy.  Now  the  cat-boat's  right  below 
here,  and  we'll  run  down  and  see  if  she's  all  stocked 
up.  I  hope  she  is,  for  I'm  tired  out,  and  a  sail  on 
the  lake  is  just  what  I  want  now.     Come  on  ! " 

The  boys  ran  eagerly  down  the  shore  in  spite  of 
their  weariness,  and  in  a  little  cove,  which  Tom 
seemed  to  know  all  about,  they  found  the  cat-boat, 
and  stepped  quickly  on  board. 

"  It's  all  right,"  said  Tom  gleefully.  "  It's  all 
stocked  up  for  us,  and  we've  got  enough  stuff  on 
board  to  last  us  a  week.  Cast  off  there,  and  we'll 
put  straight  across  the  lake;  for  I  think  we'll  do 
better  to  follow  the  other  shore." 

Samuel  followed  the  directions  of  the  young 
officer,  and  in  a  few  moments  they  drew  away  from 
the  Vermont  side,  and  started  directly  across  the 
lake. 


\ 


\ 


wmm 


mmtm 


aKiwauM 


r'l 


»  ; 


n 


i  ! 


W'. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

AN    UNEXPECTED   VISITOR. 

For  a  moment  Jairiis  and  Jeremiah  gazed  at  each 
other  in  the  dim  light,  while  neither  spoke.  The 
disappearance  of  the  canoe  was  certain,  though  how 
or  where  it  had  gone  was  a  mystery.  That  it  was 
gone,  liowever,  there  was  not  the  slightest  doubt, 
and  with  it  had  also  gone,  as  they  thought,  their  sole 
means  of  escape  from  that  dangerous  region. 

"  Mebbe  it's  worked  loose,  and  drifted  ;omewhere 
along  the  beach,"  whispered  Jeremiah  at  last.  "  You 
go  one  way  and  look,  and  I'll  try  the  other,  but  come 
back  here  in  five  minutes  at  the  longest." 

Jairus  instantly  responded,  and  a  hurried  search 
was  made  along  the  shore,  but  no  signs  of  the  miss- 
ing canoe  could  be  found.  The  lad  stopped  and 
peered  carefully  out  over  the  waters  of  the  lake. 
Once  he  thought  he  saw  the  missing  boat,  but  he 
soon  discovered  that  what  he  had  seen  was  the 
rock  which  rose  above  the  surface  between  the  spot 
where  he  was  standing  and  the  little  island  that  lay 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore. 

There  was  no  help  to  be  seen.     The  silent  waters 

160 


AJV  UNEXPECTED   VISITOR. 


i6i 


zed  at  each 
loke.  The 
hough  how 
rhat  it  was 
test  doubt, 
t,  their  sole 
;ion. 

somewhere 
ast.  "  You 
r,  but  come 

ried  search 
of  the  miss- 
topped  and 
)f  the  lake. 
)oat,  but  he 
;n  was  the 
ien  the  spot 
and  that  lay 

iilent  waters 


stretched  away  before  him,  v;hile  behind  him  lay  the 
unbroken  forest.  Under  tho  gentle  breeze  which 
was  blowing,  its  tall  trees  swayed  and  sighed,  as  if 
they  partially  understood  the  feelings  of  the  hardy 
frontiersman.  The  hooting  of  the  owl  had  ceased, 
and  the  very  stillness  of  the  night  was  oppressive. 

Jairus  was  only  dimly  conscious  of  all  these 
things,  for  he  was  determined  to  find  the  lost  canoe 
if  such  a  thing  were  possible;  but  they  all  combined 
to  increase  his  feeling  of  desolation,  when  at  last 
he  started  to  return  to  the  place  he  had  left,  where 
he  was  to  await  the  coming  of  his  companion. 

He  ran  swiftly  along  the  shore  and  soon  saw  Jere- 
miah approaching  the  meeting-place,  but  he  per- 
ceived at  once  that  his  friend  had  met  with  no  better 
success  than  had  he. 

»  Didii'i  find  it,  did  you,  Jeremiah  ? "  he  whispered 
eagerly. 

"Naw!  Either  the  thing's  broken  loose  and 
drifted  away,  or  some  pesky  redskin's  got  it.  He 
may  have  it  neow  somewhere  up  on  the  banks  and 
be  watching  us  all  the  time,  for  all  I  know.  Hark ! 
what  was  that  ?  " 

Above  the  murmuring  of  the  forest  arose  a  call 
which  could  not  be  mistaken.  The  Indians  had  left 
the  sheep-pen  and  must  be  approaching  the  lake. 

"  What  can  we  do,  Jeremiah  ? "  said  Jairus  hur- 
riedly. "We've  got  to  do  something.  Shall  we 
make  a  break  and  go  up,  or  shall  we  go  down  the 
shore.?" 


i 


1 62 


7'IVO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


ill 


ii 

w 

H 

I 


f :« 


fa 


"  You  listen 


"  Wait  jest  a  minit,"  said  Jeremiah, 
and  I'll  think." 

"Oh,  come  on!  Come  on!  Don't  stop  here! 
Let's  make  for  the  upper  shore,"  said  Jairus  ex- 
citedly. "  We  mustn't  stay  here !  We  can't  stay 
here !     Come  on,  Jeremiah !     Come  on !  " 

As  he  spoke,  Jairus  started  as  if  he  were  about  to 
leave  his  companion  and  make  for  the  forest. 

But  he  was  quickly  recalled  as  Jeremiah  said,  "  I 
have  it,  Jairus.     I  have  it." 
"  Have  what  > " 

"  The  way  out.  Those  varmints  must  have  stolen 
our  canoe,  and  they'd  know  we  made  for  it  when 
they  found  we'd  left  the  sheep-pen.  Neow  they'll 
make  a  circle  and  try  to  shut  us  in  as  they  start  for 
this  very  place." 

"  Come  on,  then.  Let's  not  wait  a  single  minute 
longer.  Come  on ! "  Jairus  was  in  a  state  of  great 
excitement,  and  mistook  the  coolness  of  his  com- 
panion for  indifference. 

"  In  jest  a  minit,  Jairus.  Jest  a  minit.  Some- 
times the  more  haste  the  less  speed.  We've  got  to 
git  our  bearings  first.  Neow  there's  a  island  out 
here  in  the  lake  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  isn't 

there  ? " 

"  Yes,  but  it  won't  do  us  any  good  without  the 
canoe.     We  can't  swim  to  it,  or  you  can't,  at  least." 

"  No  more  am  I  goin'  to  try  it,  but  we've  got  to 
make  for  it.  They'll  git  us  sure  pop  if  we  stay 
here." 


AN  UNEXPECTED   VISITOR. 


163 


ou  listen 

)p  here! 
urus  ex- 
in't  stay 

about  to 
jt. 
said,  "  I 


ive  stolen 

it  when 

)w  they'll 

'  start  for 

[e  minute 
!  of  great 
his  com- 

:.  Some- 
ve  got  to 
sland  out 
iway,  isn't 

thout  the 

at  least." 

ve  got  to 

vye  stay 


"  Then  what  are  you  staying  for  ?  We  can't  get 
to  the  island,  and  we  mustn't  stay  here.  Come  on  1 
Come  on ! " 

Jairus  was  becoming  desperate  in  his  fear.  Every 
moment  he  expected  to  hear  the  sound  of  a  gun,  or 
feel  an  arrow  shot  by  some  unseen  enemy.  Every 
tree  might  be  the  hiding-place  of  a  foe,  while  every 
birch  or  fallen  log  seemed  to  him  like  the  very 
presence  of  his  enemies. 

"Take  off  yer  boots  and  carry  them  in  yer 
hands,"  said  Jeremiah  quickly.  "  Don't  make  any 
more  noise  than  ye  can  help,  and  follow  me.  I'll 
take  ye  on  out  o'  this,  yet." 

Jairus  instantly  obeyed,  although  he  could  not 
understand  Jeremiah's  plan,  and  together  they 
started  down  the  lake,  keeping  close  inshore,  and 
wading  through  the  shallow  water. 

It  seemed  to  the  lad  like  a  meaningless  work, 
and  yet  so  strong  was  his  confidence  in  his  com 
panion  that  he  uttered  no  protest.  Once  or  twice 
he  stumbled  and  almost  fell ;  for  his  eyes  were  con- 
stantly towards  the  forest,  from  which  each  moment 
he  expec^^ed  to  see  some  of  their  enemies  emerge. 

"Careful!  Careful!"  whispered  Jeremiah,  and 
Jairus  strove  to  follow  the  example  of  his  compan- 
ion, who  was  lifting  his  feet  without  making  a  sound 
as  he  walked  rapidly  onward. 

For  five  minutes  the  strange  flight  was  main- 
tained, and  then  at  a  whispered  word  from  Jeremiah 
both  stopped  and  listened. 


1 64 


TiyO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


No  sound  but  the  murmuring  of  the  night  wind 
could  be  heard,  and  with  a  grunt  of  satisfaction, 
Jeremiah,  in  a  low  voice,  said:  "This  is  the  place 
Neow  take  hold  with  me  and  we'll  lift  a  couple  of 
these  logs  into  the  water.  Don't  make  any  noise, 
and  be  quick  about  it,  too,  for  I  don't  think  we've 
much  time  to  waste." 

As  he  spoke,  Jeremiah  advanced  to  a  low  pile  of 
logs  that  were  lying  near  the  shore.  Jairus  instantly 
recalled  them  as  some  which  he  and  his  brother 
had  cut  in  the  preceding  winter,  intending  to  build 
a  little  dock  there.  He  quickly  obeyed  his  com- 
panion, however,  and  in  a  moment  two  of  the  logs 
had  been  removed  from  the  pile  and  transferred  to 

the  lake. 

"  Neow,  tie  yer  boots  together  and  hang  them  over 
the  log,"  said  Jeremiah,  quickly  producing  some 
thongs  of  deer's  hide  from  his  pockets  and  cutting 

them  with  his  knife. 

He  handed  one  piece  to  Jairus,  and  with  the 
other  tied  his  own  boots  together  and  hung  them 
across  the  log  before  him. 

Jairus  speedily  followed  his  example,  not  yet 
understanding  his  friend's  plan,  but  still  trusting  to 

his  judgment. 

"Neow,  then,"  said  Jeremiah,  "we'll  strike  out 
with  these  'ere  logs  and  try  to  make  for  that,  island. 
I  never  could  swim  it,  never  in  the  world,  but  with 
this  log  I'll  do  it  jest  as  easy  as  a  boy  paddles 
around'  a  mill-pond.     Uon't   make  any  noise,  and 


M: 


AN  UNEXPECTED   VISITOK. 


165 


rht  wind 
sfaction, 
le  place, 
ouple  of 
ly  noise, 
ik  we've 

w  pile  of 

instantly 

brother 

to  build 

his  com- 
the  logs 

sferred  to 

them  over 
ing  some 
d  cutting 

with   the 
ung  them 

!,   not   yet 
trusting  to 

strike  out 
hat.  island. 
1,  but  with 
ay  paddles 
noise,  and 


whatever  else  ye  do,  keep  close  to  me.  Ye'll  git 
yei  clothes  wet,  but  that  isn't  worth  mindin';  ncow, 
then,"  and  as  he  spoke  he  quickly  pushed  his  log 
before  him,  and  wading  a  few  feet  out  into  the  lake 
until  the  water  rose  to  his  shoulders,  began  to  swim, 
leaning  upon  the  end  of  the  log,  and  slowly  pushing 
it  before  him. 

Jairus  was  soon  by  his  side,  and  together  the  two 
men  swam  on.  The  logs  were  not  large,  but  were 
sufficient  to  bear  their  weight,  and  soon  the  men  had 
passed  from  the  shore,  the  line  of  which  could  now 
no  longer  be  seen. 

Behind  them  lay  the  dark  forest,  but  no  signs  of 
their  enemies  had  yet  appeared.  With  their  heads 
close  to  the  water,  even  in  the  dim  light  they  could 
see  a  considerable  distance  about  them.  Both  were 
familiar  with  the  location  of  the  island  they  were 
seeking,  but  its  oatiines  could  not  yet  be  discerned. 

They  had  gone  several  hundred  yards  before  they 
rested.  Then,  at  a  word  from  Jeremiah,  both  ceased 
from  their  labors  for  a  moment,  and  looked  behind 
them  and  listened.  A  pause  of  a  moment  served  to 
show  them  that  as  yet  none  of  their  enemies  were 
following  them,  and  Jeremiah  gave  the  word  to  re- 
sume their  labors. 

"  Are  you  tired  ?  "  whispered  Jairus,  "  Don't  you 
want  to  rest     little  longer  ?  " 

"  Naw,  not  a  bit,"  whispered  Jeremiah.  "  There's 
only  one  thing  that  troubles  me." 

"  What's  that  ? " 


I 


f 


i66 


rH'O   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


■■ 


"  I'm  wet.  and  this  lake  water  isn't  fit  to  swim  in. 
I'd  rather  have  a  mill-pond  any  day." 

Jairus  was  in  no  mood  for  joking,  but  the  ap- 
parent indifference  of  his  companion  served  to 
strengthen  his  own  hopes,  and  with  renewed  courage 
he  began  to  move  again,  striving  all  the  time  to 
keep  close  to  his  companion. 

With  all  their  efforts,  their  progress  was  neces- 
sarily slow,  and  several  rests  were  taken  before  the 
outlines  of  the  island  appeared  in  the  darkness 
before  them.  But  at  last  it  was  ^een,  and  then 
they  slightly  changed  their  course  and  drew  near 

the  shore. 

"  The  other  side,  the  other  side,"  whispered  Jere- 
miah "  We  want  to  come  in  from  the  lake  side, 
not  from  the  shore.  U  any  of  those  redskins  should 
happen  to  get  sight  of  these  ^re  logs,  he'd  come 
over  to  see  what  they  were  for." 

Jeremiah  spoke  with  difficulty  now,  and  Jairus 
could  readily  perceive  that  he  was  thoroughly 
chilled  by  the  long  swim;  but  they  kept  together, 
and  circling  the  point,  soon  approached  the  island 

from  the  lake  side. 

Light  was  just  beginning  to  appear  in  the  east 
when  the  weary  swimmers  stepped  on  the  shore. 
They  quickly  lifted  the  logs  out  of  the  water  and 
concealed  them  under  the  bushes  that  grew  near 
the  bank.  The  island  itself  was  covered  with  a  low 
growth  of  trees,  and  promised  to  provide  a  shelter, 
at  least  for  a  time. 


AN  UNEXPECTED   VISITOR. 


167 


swim  in. 

t  the  ap- 
icrved  to 
d  courage 
;  time  to 

^as  neces- 

before  the 

darkness 

and  then 

drew  near 

ered  Jere- 

lake  side, 

;ins  should 

he'd  come 

ind   Jairus 

thoroughly 

t  together, 

the  island 

in  the  east 
the  shore. 

;  water  and 
grew  near 
with  a  low 

le  a  shelter, 


"We'll  wrini>  out  our  clothes,  first,"  said  Jere- 
miah, his  teeth  chattering  as  he  spoke. 

Their  clothing  was  quickly  removed,  and  by  the 
united  efforts  of  both,  the  garments  were  soon 
wrung  comparatively  dry.  The  sun  had  appeared 
by  this  time,  and  the  July  morning  gave  promise  of 
being  unusually  warm.  This  was  not  lamented, 
however,  by  either  of  the  men,  fo  both  of  them 
were  thoroughly  chilled. 

"  We'll  get  no  breakfast  here,"  said  Jairus  dole- 
fully. 

"  We'll  get  something  better  than  that,  we'll  get 
ourselves,"  replied  Jeremiah.  "  When  you  come  to 
think  of  it,  a  breakfast  doesn't  count  for  much  along- 
side gettin'  out  o'  that  pen  of  yours,  and  makin'  our 
way  through  the  woods,  where  the  redskins  are 
swarmin'  like  bees.  No,  sir,  not  much !  We  can 
afford  to  wait  till  to-morrow,  or  the  day  after  if 
necessary,  for  a  breakfast.  We've  saved  our  bacon, 
anyway,  and  there'll  be  time  enough  to  cook  it  by 

and  by." 

Although  they  were  tired  by  the  exertions  of  the 
preceding  night,  they  took  several  turns  along  the 
shore,  and  in  the  warm  sunlight  their  clothing  was 
soon  dry,  and  the  men  were  greatly  refreshed. 

"  We'll  go  over  on  the  other  side  now,"  said  Jere- 
miah, "  and  see  how  it  looks  along  the  shore." 

Jairus  readily  responded,  but  neither  of  them  was 
prepared  for  the  sight  which  greeted  their  eyes  as 
they  looked  across  the  water  which  intervened  be- 


1 68 


TIVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


Ivvccn  them  and  the  New  York  side  of  the  laKe. 
Ilircctly  in  front  of  them,  at  about  half  the  distance 
to  the  mainland,  six  canoes  could  be  seen  moving 
rapidly  up  the  lake. 

"  There's  yer  tormentors,"  said  Jeremiah  as  he 
caught  sight  of  the  little  fleet.  "They're  the  fellows 
that  set  fire  to  yer  pen  and  burned  up  yer  house, 
J  air  us.  Gum !  but  it's  too  bad  we  had  to  leave  our 
guns." 

Jairus  made  no  reply,  for  he  was  eagerly  watching 
the  departing  canoes.  He  counted  eighteen  men, 
and  several  of  them  he  was  satisfied  were  white. 

Jeremiah,  as  if  reading  his  companion's  thoughts, 
said :  "  It's  jest  as  I  calc'lated.  See  them  white 
fellows !  They're  the  lads  who  are  at  the  bottom 
of  all  the  mischief." 

"  Jeremiah,"  said  Jairus  hastily,  "  they're  coming 
this  way.  They're  coming  here.  You  don't  sup- 
pose they've  got  sight  of  us,  do  you  ? " 

"  Naw,"  responded  Jeremiah  quickly. 

Nevertheless,  he  withdrew  hastily  a  little  farther 
within  the  shelter  of  the  trees  on  the  island,  an 
example  which  his  companion  as  speedily  followed. 

The  canoes,  however,  were  not  seeking  the  island. 
After  slightly  changing  their  course,  they  held  steadily 
on  their  way  up  the  lake,  and  in  the  course  of  a  half- 
hour  had  become  only  little  specks  upon  the  water 
in  the  distance,  and  soon  after  disappeared  entirely 
from  the  sight  of  the  watchers  on  the  island. 

It  was  with  a  feeling  of  relief  that   Jairus  then 


•tm 


AN  UNEXPECTED  VISITOR. 


169 


the  laUc. 

distance 

1  moving 

ih  as  he 
le  fellows 
er  house, 
leave  our 

watching 
een  men, 
vhite. 
thoughts, 
jm  white 
e  bottom 


e  commg 
on't  sup- 


le  farther 
sland,  an 
followed, 
he  island, 
d  steadily 
:  of  a  half- 
the  water 
d  entirely 
d. 
irus  then 


said:  "  It'll  be  safe  now  for  us  to  j^o  back,  won't  it  ? 
I'm  hungry,  and  we'll  find  something  to  eat  around 
the  place,  I'm  sure." 

"  Not  yet,  not  yet,  my  gallant  friend.  We  don't 
know  how  many  have  been  left  behind.  I  rather 
think  that  those  six  canoes  took  all  the  band,  but 
nobody  can  tell  for  sartain.  They  may  be  comin' 
back,  too.  No,  all  we  can  do  is  to  stay  here  to-day, 
and  perhaps  to-night  or  to-morrow  mornin'  it'll  be 
safe  for  us  to  paddle  ashore.  Neow,  you  go  and  lie 
dowi.,  and  I'll  keep  one  eye  on  the  lake  and  the 
other  on  the  shore,  jest  as  if  I  was  cross-eyed,  ye 
see." 

Jairus  protested  a  moment,  and  urged  his  com- 
panion to  rest  first  and  permit  him  to  keep  watch ; 
but  Jeremiah  was  determined,  and  as  the  lad  was 
almost  worn  out  by  the  exertions  of  the  night,  he 
soon  allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded ;  and  within  a 
sheltered  spot  and  under  the  warm  rays  of  the  sum- 
mer sun  he  soon  stretched  himself  upon  the  ground 
and  was  asleep. 

Just  how  long  he  slept,  he  did  not  know,  but  he 
was  awakened  by  Jeremiah  shaking  him  gently  by 
the  shoulder.  "  Come,  Jairus,  wake  up !  We've  got 
visitors." 

"  Got  what  ? "  exclaimed  the  startled  lad,  at  once 
standing  erect  and  looking  sharply  at  his  com- 
panion. 

"Got  vis'tors.  Can't  ye  understand  the  king's 
English?     About  two  hours  ago  I  sighted  a  little 


170 


TH'O    YOUNC  PATRIOTS. 


craft  comin'  t.ver  the  lake.     1  didn't  jest  know  wl.at 
to  make  of  it  at  first,  but  I  kept  still  and  said  »>  )thin', 
which  same  is  a  habit  o'  mine.     Pretty  quick,  i  dis- 
GOV.  red  they  were  a  makin'  for  this  very  island,  so  1 
still  kept  still  and  said  nothin',  though  I  watched  'em 
mighty  sharp.    Well,  they  landed  all  right,  and  there 
were  two  of  'em,  jest  two  and  no  more.     And  both 
was  redcoats,  or  leastwise  one  of   'em  was,  for  he 
had  on  the  redcoat  uniform.     They're  both  young 
fellows,  too.     Boys,  'most  like  you." 
"  Are  they  here  now  ?  " 

"  One  of  'em  is.  The  other  fellow,  the  one  what 
didn't  have  any  uniform  on,  soon  after  they  landed 
took  the  little  skiff  they  had  in  tow  and  started  for 
the  shore.  The  other  fellow's  here,  and  all  alone. 
Ye  see.  It's  all  clear  that  some  of.  those  chaps  are  up 
by  your  house  yet.  Jairus,  you  never  ought  to 
have  built  your  house  on  such  a  thoroughfare. 
Twas  a  big  mistake,  my  lad,  though  I'm  not  sayin' 
vou  are  to  blame  for  it."  ^^ 

"  And  you  say  there's  only  one  here  now? 
"  Yes,  only  one." 
"  Then  why  don't  we  go  down  and  get  him,  or  at 

least  take  his  boat  ? " 

•'  'Cause  he's  got  guns  and  we've  got  none,  and 
that's  where  the  fun's  begun,"  said  Jeremiah  soberly. 
"  Still,  I'm  not  sayin'  your  suggestion's  a  bad  one. 
Come  on  and  we'll  take  a  peep  at  him  and  see  how 

the  land  lies."  . 

Jairus  quickly  followed  his  companion,  and  to- 


wijgyriBimTi 


■tiWiilliWWifcW 


)()W  wli.'it 
1  111  )thin', 
ck,  i  dis- 
land,  so  I 
tched  'em 
and  there 
\nd  both 
IS,  for  he 
ith  young 


AN  UNEXPECTED   VISITOR. 


171 


^ethcr  thuy  moved  noiselessly  among  the  trees  until 
they  came  to  a  place  from  which  they  could  look 
down  and  see  the  little  boat  on  the  shore,  and  not 
far  away  the  young  "  British  redcoat,"  as  Jeremiah 
termed  him. 


one  what 
ley  landed 
started  for 

all  alone, 
aps  are  up 

ought  to 
roughfare. 

not  sayin' 

.w?" 

him,  or  at 

none,  and 
iah  soberly, 
a  bad  one. 
id  see  how 


an,  and  to- 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

A    PRIZE. 

For  a  moment  Jairus  and  his  companion  did  not 
speak.  The  young  soldier  was  seated  upon  the 
ground  and  leaning  against  a  tree.  At  first  they 
thought  he  was  asleep,  but  as  he  soon  stirred  and 
lazily  struck  at  the  daisies  near  him  with  the  dead 
branch  he  was  holding  in  his  hands,  they  knew  that 
he  must  1  e  awake,  though  apparently  he  was  feel- 
ing ihe  influence  of  the  warm  summer  day. 

And  the  day  itself  was  almost  ideal.  The  sun, 
now  high  in  the  heavens,  had  burned  away  every 
vestige  oi  a  cloud  in  <be  sky.  The  waters  of  the 
lake  were  alnv-e^  Ike  liiass,  while  the  mountains  in 
the  distance  s*^-  eared  indistinct  and  dim  in  the  haze 
which  surrc  :  :.ied  them.  The  occasional  notes  of 
some  b"rd,  or  the  shrill  grating  sounds  of  the  insects, 
were  all  that  could  be  heard.  The  only  indication 
of  war  was  the  young  soldier  in  his  bright-colored 
uniform,  and  even  he  seemed  to  have  lost  all  in- 
terest in  the  struggle,  under  the  influence,  of  the 
peaceful  scene  about  him. 

"Are   you   sure    he's  the   only  soldier  on   the 
island?"  whispered  Jairus  at  last. 

172 


timm 


J<»l1l)illll  llll'IWllll 


)^mil|i^M(iMMnB>i*iWit  MtMM  9  iwM^ 


y,i^A^^0m 


>n  did  not 
upon  the 
first  they 
irred  and 
the  dead 
knew  that 
:  was  feel- 

The  sun, 
way  every 
ers  of  the 
untains  in 
n  the  haze 
il  notes  of 
he  insects, 

indication 
;ht-colored 
lost  all  in- 
tice  of  the 

er  on   the 


inaBgAi'aiMWW  ii»A*M  i.^i»*iiWti  •i^mvf 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductiont  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


^ 


A  PRIZE. 


173 


"  Sartain,  sure,"  replied  Jeremiah.  "  I  had  my 
eye  on  em  when  they  landed  and  there  were  only 
two,  and  one  o'  the  pair's  gone  ashore.  No,  he's 
the.sole  subject  of  his  satanic  —  beg  pardon,  I  mean 
Britannic  —  majesty  on  this  'ere  island  o'  peace, 
which  by  good  right  belongs  to  New  Hampshire." 

"  Of  course  he's  armed,  Jeremiah } " 

"  That's  what  I  can't  tell  yet.  I  can  make  out  a 
gun  or  two  on  the  boat,  but  I  can't  see  any  near 
him.  You  look,  Jairus ;  your  eyes  are  sharper  than 
mine." 

Jairus  again  looked  carefully  on  the  ground  at 
the  feet  of  the  young  soldier,  but  reported  that  he 
could  not  discover  any  weapon  of  warfare. 

"  He  thinks  he's  safe  and  lord  o'  all  he  surveys," 
said  Jeremiah.  "  My  'pinion  is  that  he's  waitin' 
for  that  other  fellow  to  come  back.  We  won't 
wait  any  longer.  We'll  come  up  to  the  lad  atween 
him  and  the  shore,  and  that'll  cut  him  off  from  his 
pop-guns.  Neow  you  let  me  do  the  talkin',  Jairus, 
and  you  jest  follow  me  and  do  as  I  do.  Come  on, 
neow.     It's  high  time  we  were  a  movin'." 

They  crept  out  from  their  hiding-place  and  made 
their  way  carefully  and  slowly  along  the  shore,  pre- 
pared to  make  a  dash  for  the  boat  if  the  young 
soldier  discovered  them  too  soon.  But  the  drowsy 
redcoat  had  no  thought  of  company  on  the  island, 
and  his  head  nodded  again  and  again,  as  if  he  had 
almost  forgotten  the  fact  that  he  was  there  himself. 

"We're  all  right  neow,"  said  Jeremiah  as  they 


■wiwm-nLi^vjUlini'p.i 


r 


174 


riVO   YOUi\G  PATRIOTS. 


came  in  line  with  the  boat.    "  Neow  we'll  wake  him 

up !  L        J 

"  Mornin'  to  ye,  friend,"  said  Jeremiah  as  he  and 
his  companion  left  the  shore  and  started  towards 
the  young  soldier.  "  Mornin'  to  ye,"  he  repeated 
as  they  came  nearer. 

The  man  was  awake  in  an  instant,  and  as  he 
glanced  quickly  about  him  for  his  gun,  Jeremiah 
smiled  sympathetically,  and  said,  "  Ye  wasn't  lookm 
for  vis'tors  here,  like  enough  ?  " 

"  Who  are  you  ? "  demanded  the  young  soldier, 
realizing  that  he  was  cut  off  from  an  approach  to 
his  boat.  He  could  not  entirely  conceal  his  alarm, 
and  yet  he  was  striving  to  be  cool  and  collected. 

"  Oh,  we're  jest  two  o'  the  inhabitants  of  this 
goodly' land.     Jest  let  me  ask  who  may  you  be, 

yourself  ? "  1  /- 

"  I'm  Sergeant  Richmond,  and  I  belong  to  Gen- 
eral Eraser's  division." 

"Glad  to  hear  it,"  replied  Jeremiah  solemnly. 
"  Glad  to  hear.    And  what  may  you  be  a  doin' 

here?"  .  . 

The  young  soldier  glanced  suspiciously  at  the 
speaker  before  he  replied.  Perhaps  he  felt  some- 
what  uncertain  of  the  reception  his  reply  would 
meet.  But  he  soon  threw  off  his  hesitation,  as  he 
said  •  "  I'm  on  my  way  to  meet  some  recruits  and 
get  some  supplies  for  the  army.  Not  that  we  need 
them  very  much,  but  the  Canadians  haven't  done 
very  well  for  us  yet,  for  the  general  says  he  has 


/*  PRIZE. 


175 


wake  him 

as  he  and 
;d  towards 
e  repeated 

and  as  he 
1,  Jeremiah 
,sn't  lookin' 

ng  soldier, 
ipproach  to 
I  his  alarm, 
oUected. 
mts  of  this 
lay  you  be, 

ing  to  Gen- 

h  solemnly. 
I  be  a  doin' 

)usly  at  the 
e  felt  some- 
reply  would 
itation,  as  he 
recruits  and 
hat  we  need 
haven't  done 
says  he  has 


only  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  of  them  in  the 
army.  We  don't  need  them,  but  if  they  want  to 
come  in,  I'm  not  the  man  to  keep  them  out." 

He  was  rapidly  recovering  his  confidence  now, 
and  boldly  added :  "  Perhaps  you  two  belong  to 
them.  This  man,"  he  added,  looking  keenly  at 
Jairus  as  he  spoke,  "looks  like  some  one  I've  seen 
before.  You  either  belong  to  the  army,  or  I've  seen 
you  there,  haven't  I  ? " 

Before  Jairus  could  reply,  Jeremiah  said  ab- 
ruptly :  "  There's  no  use  in  mincin'  matters,  my 
young  friend.  We  belong  to  the  Yankee  rebels,  as 
you  call  'em,  and  what's  more,  you  belong  to  us." 

The  young  soldier's  boldness  for  the  moment  dis- 
appeared. He  glanced  quickly  about  him  as  if  he 
was  looking  for  some  means  of  escape,  but  appar- 
ently concluding  that  he  must  remain  and  face  his 
danger,  he  said :  — 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  me  ?  It's  little 
good  a  prisoner  will  do  you  now." 

"  Why  isn't  a  prisoner  as  good  for  us  as  it  is  for 
you,  with  your  Dutch  butchers  and  redcoats  ? " 

"  Why,  just  because  your  whole  army  are  prison- 
ers now.  Every  mother's  son  of  them  by  this  time 
has  surrendered  to  General  Burgoyne." 

"  What's  that  you  say  ?  What  ye  talkin'  ?  Don't 
ye  try  any  o'  yer  dodges  on  me,  young  man  ! "  said 
Jeremiah.  "  I'm  not  exactly  in  the  frame  o'  mind  to 
put  up  with  sech  nonsense  at  the  present  moment." 

"  I   mean  just   what  I  say,"  replied  the  young 


r 


TIVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 

i 

soldier,  quick  to  see  the  effect  of  his  words,  and  be- 
coming instantly  bolder.  "  Of  course  you  know 
we've  got  Ticonderoga  ?  " 

"  Got   Ticonderoga  ?      What    ye    talkin  ?      Ye 
don't  mean  what  ye're  a  sayin'  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  do  mean  just  what  I'm  saying.     We  took 
Ticonderoga  without  losing  a  man,  and  the  rebels 
have   put   out   across   the   country  on  the  double 
quick.     General  Eraser's  after  those  who  are  on  the 
other  side  of  the  lake,  and  when   we   started,  we 
could  hear  the   guns   over  by    Hubbardton,   and 
there's  no  doubt  he's  got  'em  all  before  this  time. 
And   as  for  the  others,  why,  General  Burgoyne  s 
after  them  and  probably  by  this  time  he's  got  -em 
all,  or  driven  'em  right  into  Clinton's  hands.     Oh, 
we've  got  you,  my  festive  Yankee,  we've  got  you!" 
The  depression  of  Jeremiah,  which  could  not  be 
concealed,  produced  a  corresponding  elation  in  the 
manner  of  the   young   redcoat,  and   no   one   who 
might  have  seen  them  there  w6uld  have  suspected 
the  true  relation  in  which  they  stood. 

Jeremiah  was  silent  a  moment,  and  then,  turning 
to  Jairus,  said :  "  Come,  my  lad,  we  must  get  out 
o'  this.  I  don't  believe  the  little  whipper-snappers 
told  the  truth,  but  we  can't  wait  to  find  out.  We 
don't  want  you,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  soldier, 
"but  will  have  to  trouble  ye  for  the  loan  o'  that 
boat  o'  yours." 

"  What !  and  leave  me  here  alone  ? " 

"  Oh,  you've  got  company.     I  wasn't  blind  when 


h,  and  be- 
you   know 

kin'?      Ye 

We  took 

the  rebels 

the  double 

are  on  the 

started,  we 

rdton,   and 

:  this  time. 

Burgoyne's 

e's  got  'em 

lands.     Oh, 

got  you ! " 

)uld  not  be 

ition  in  the 

0   one   who 

e  suspected 

hen,  turning 
lUst  get  out 
>er-snapper's 
d  out.  We 
the  soldier, 
loan  o'  that 


blind  when 


-lii^  ii.-iiar-|ii.  rr;-ifi' ViilB'Wiinirir 


n 


A   PRIZE. 


i;; 


that  other  fellow  left  you  here  and  went  ashore. 
He'll  be  back  pretty  quick,  jest  as  scon's  he's  set  fire 
to  a  few  more  widows'  houses,  I  suppose.  I'd  sarve 
ye  jest  right  if  I  strung  ye  up  on  the  first  tree  here, 
and  left  ye  as  a  kind  of  a  warnin'  to  yer  prowlin' 
bands  o'  redskins,  and  yer  cowboy  traitors.  Yes,  sir, 
I'd  sarve  ye  jest  right  to  do  it,  but  I'm  not  one  o' 
that  kind,  so  ye  can  remember  yer  marcics  and  say 
yer  prayers  whilst  that  companion  o'  yours  does  his 
little  errand.  Come,  Jairus,  you  hist  the  sail  and 
I'll  be  down  and  join  ye  in  a  minit." 

^Despite  the  protests  of  the  young  soldier,  Jere- 
miah and  Jairus  soon  set  sail  from  the  island,  taking 
with  them  the  two  guns  they  found  on  board.  The 
wind  was  so  light  that  for  a  time  they  were  com- 
pelled to  use  the  oars,  but  as  long  as  the  island 
could  be  seen,  the  figure  of  the  young  sergeant 
could  be  discerned  upon  the  shore. 

"  Hold  on  a  bit;  this  is  too  hard  work," said  Jere- 
miah at  last.  "  The  wind's  comin'  up  a  little,  too, 
and  we'd  better  crawl  along  under  that  than  use  up 
all  our  strength.  You  take  the  tiller,  Jairus,  and 
I'll  crawl  into  the  cabin  and  see  if  I  can't  find  some- 
thni . 

Jairus  took  the  tiller  obediently,  and  a  moment 
later  was  startled  by  the  exclamation  which  came 
from  the  cabin.  Before  he  could  leave  his  seat, 
however,  Jeremiah  appeared,  and  in  his  hands  was 
a  goodly  portion  of   the  supplies  which    Sergeant 

Richmond  had  had  stored  on   board.     As   it   had 


178 


riyo   YOUNG  P.-t'/'A'/OTS. 


been  many  hours  now  since  either  had  tasted  food, 
the  sight  was  a  welcome  one,  and  for  a  time  neither 
spoke,  so  busied  were  they  both  in  the  immediate 
occupation  which  followed.  ^^ 

"  There !  that's  what  I  call  a  good  oming,"  said 
Jeremiah  at  last,  pausing  for  a  moment. 
"  A  good  what  ?  " 

"  A  good  oming.  Can't  ye  understand  the  Eng- 
lish language  ?  A  good  oming,  a  good  sign,  a  kind 
of  a  providential  feeding  o'  the  ravens,  as  it  were. 
No  I  mean  feedin'  by  the  ravens—  Oh,  you  know 
what  I  mean.  I'm  glad  to  get  them  victuals. 
There  !  now  ye  understand,  don't  ye  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Jairus  briefly;  for  the  lad   was  not 
yet  ready  to  talk.     "Yes,  I  know  what  you  mean  ^ 
now,  Jeremiah."  ^ 

"  Well,  neow  that  the  cravin's  o'  the  mner  man  s 
been  satisfied,  we've  got  to  settle  what's  become  or 
what's  goin'  to  become  o'  the  outer  man.  I  don't 
feel  half  so  scared  as  I  did  when  that  little  popin- 
jay told  his  story  up  there  on  the  island.  It's  won- 
derful  what  victuals  will  do  for  a  man  at  my  time  o' 
life,  Jairus.  My  wife's  known  it,  too,  these  many 
years,  and  I'm  about  sartain  sure  that  Thankful's 
right  now.     Victuals  is  wonderful  things,  my  lad." 

"Why  don't   you  feel  afraid  now?     Don't  you 

think  he  told  the  truth  ? "  ,       „ 

"  Yes,  I  do.     He  told  the  truth,  but  he  didn  t  tell 

the  whole    truth  and  nothin'  but  the  truth,  that's 

what  I  mean.     My  'pinion  is  that  the  little  upstart 


A   PRIZE. 


179 


sted  food, 
ne  neither 
immediate 

ling,"  said 


I  the  Eng- 
ign,  a  kind 
as  it  were. 
,  you  know 
n    victuals. 

d   was  not 
you  mean 

nner  man's 

become  or 
n.  I  don't 
ittle  popin- 
.     It's  won- 

my  time  o' 
these  many 

Thankful's 
5,  my  lad." 

Don't  you 

e  didn't  tell 
truth,  that's 
ittle  upstart 


told  the  truth  about  Fort  Ty,  but  I  don't  believe  a 
word  o'  what  he  says  about  everybody's  havin'  given 
up.     Not  much ! " 

"  If  the  fort's  got  into  the  hands  of  Burgoyne, 
what  shall  we  do?  We  can't  keep  straight  on  up 
the  lake.  Hadn't  we  better  put  across  to  the  other 
side?" 

"  That's  what  I've  been  thinkin'  about.  Neow 
let's  see  hcow  it  looks,  Jairus,  my  lad.  If  there's 
any  truth  in  what  that  little  British  redcoat  told  us, 
there's  some  of  the  Britishers  over  there.  Probably 
'twas  only  a  part  that  took  to  the  Green  Hills.  My 
'pinion  is  that  the  most  o'  the  crowd's  gone  on  up 
to  Skenesborough,  or  maybe  to  Fort  Edward,  and 
that's  where  the  most  o'  the  trouble's  likely  to  be, 
right  along  twixt  there  and  Albany.  That's  their 
game,  you  know,  to  get  us  in  between  Johnnie  and 
Clinton,  and  then  squeeze  us  as  I'd  squeeze  a  cow- 
cumber  between  my  two  hands.  That's  where 
they'll  want  every  mother's  son  of  us,  I  guess,  and  I 
guess,  too,  that  that's  about  where  we'd  better  go, 
Jairus,  my  boy." 

"  But  how  shall  we  get  past  this  army  ? "  persisted 
Jairus.     "  I  don't  just  see  how  we're  to  do  that." 

"  Jest  as  easy  as  slidin'  deown  hill.  We'll  keep 
on  w\  ?he  lake  as  far's  we  can  go,  then  we'll  land 
and  Starr  out  towards  Fort  Edward.  We'll  take 
pains,  though,  to  hide  this  craft ;  for  'twould  be  a 
shameful  waste  to  leave  her  where  the  redcoats 
might  get  her.     I  don't  believe  you'll  ever  want  licr, 


i»siw'.r;sro»oKCs^s3^is«&^=aa»nsnate;CTr(f5ff?swi;^ 


i8o 


TiyO  YOUNG  rATRiors. 


Jairus;  but  like  as  not  I  may  some  clay,  and  you 
wouldn't  feel  hurt,  would  you,  if  I  should  claim  her 
as  mine  ?     Neow  would  ye  ? " 

"Not  a  bit,"  replied  Jairus,  laughing  good-nat- 
uredly, as  he  saw  the  project  in  the  mind  of  his 
companion. 

The  "frugality"  of  Jeremiah  was  somethmg 
which  had  become  apparent  long  before  this  time. 
"  Hut,"  he  continued,  "  I  don't  jest  see  how  we'll  get 
around  the  army.  That's  what  troubles  me.  If 
you  know,  you  know  more  than  I  do.     That's  all  I 

can  say." 

"  Who  said  I  didn't  know  more'n  you,  I  d  like  to 
know?  In  course  I  know  more'n  you.  Didn't  I 
tell  ye  I'd  held  ye  on  my  lap  when  ye  was  nothin' 
but  a  little  squallin'  baby  ?  That  was  long  afore 
ye  had  a  eye-tooth  in  yer  head,  Jairus,  and  I  had 
two  eyes  and  both  eye-teeth,  too." 

"  Yes,  you're  a  good  deal  older  than  I  am,"  said 
Jairus,  "  and  you  ought  to  know  more.  I  hope  you 
do,  with  all  my  heart;  for  I  don't  feel  as  if  I  knew 
much  of  anything,  just  at  present."  ^ 

"What?  What's  that  ye  say?  Ye're  a  calhn 
me  a  old  man,  are  ye?  Neow,  Jairus,  I'd  a  hardly 
thought  that  of  ye,  I  hardly  would.  'Tisn't  jest 
respectful  like.  I'm  surprised  at  ye.  Indeed,  I 
am.  I  did  hold  ye  on  my  lap  when  you  was  jest  a 
baby,  but  I'm  not  a  sayin'  I  was  so  very  old  at  the 
time,  am  I  ?  No,  Jairus,  I  didn't  think  that  o'  you, 
1  didn't,  indeed." 


A   PAWZE. 


I8l 


and  you 
claim  her 

good-nat- 
nd  of  his 

jomething 
this  time. 
V  we'll  get 
s  me.  If 
'hat's  all  I 

I'd  like  to 
Didn't  I 
^as  nothin* 
long  afore 
and  I  had 

I  am,"  said 
I  hope  you 
s  if  I  knew 

re  a  callin' 
'd  a  hardly 
'Tisn't  jest 
Indeed,  I 
1  was  jest  a 
y  old  at  the 
that  o'  you, 


"  I  wasn't  lliinking  of  y(»ur  a^v"  replied  jainis, 
'hut  of  your  cxpcrifncc.  I'm  siuc  if  that  young 
redcoat  had  felt  your  hand  on  him,  he'd  have 
thought  his  last  day  had  come.  I  only  wish  I  had 
half  as  strong  an  arm  as  you  have,  Jeremiah.  It 
was  just  your  experience  I  was  thinking  of,  and 
what  a  gootl  thing  it  was  that  you  knew  what  we're 
trying  to  do.  If  we  get  out  of  this  trouble,  it  will 
be  because  you  got  us  out.  I  can't  see  any  way 
myself." 

"  No  more  ye  can't,  my  lad,"  said  Jeremiah,  molli- 
fied in  a  moment  by  his  companion's  words.  "  I'm 
jest  a  tellin'  ye  that  I'm  goin'  to  get  you  and  me,  too, 
out  of  it,  if  it  can  be  done." 

"  How  are  you  going  to  do  it  ? " 

"Well,  it's  this  way,  ye  see.  It's  more'n  likely 
as  how  old  Ty  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Britishers,  and 
we  want  to  fight  shy  of  that.  The  thing  for  us  to 
do  is  to  land  somewhere  this  side  o'  the  fort — takin' 
good  care  o'  this  craft  in  course;  for,  somehow,  I  feel 
as  if  I  might  want  her  again.  Then  I  know  a  trail 
out  to  the  road  to  Albany,  and  not  so  very  far  away 
is  where  Alec  Bryan  has  his  tavern.  He's  a  good 
man,  Alexander  is.     Ever  see  him,  Jairus  ? " 

"  No." 

"Well,  he  is  a  good  man.  He  keeps  on  a  tendin' 
to  business  jest  the  same  as  if  John  Burgoyne  and 
his  redcoats  wasn't  within  a  thousand  miles  of  here, 
as  we  all  know  that's  where  they  ought  to  be.  If 
nothin's  happened  to  Alec,  he'll  fix  us  all  right.     I 


i 


1 82 


TH'O    VOIW'O  I'ATKIOTS. 


.h.n't  mincl  t.llin'  you,  jainis.  for  you're  a  pretty 
likely  lad,  if  y<»ii  did  lall  me  a  old  man  just  now, 
that  Alec  knows  a  thing  or  two.  And  one  thing 
he  knows  is  how  to  make  the  redcoats  think  he's 
one  thing  when  he  isn't  that  thing  at  all.  Some- 
how, he's  helped  Phil  Schuyler  to  know  something 
he  didn't  know  before,  too." 
"What  is  he  — a  spy?" 

"  That  isn't  what  we  call  it.  That's  a  dangerous 
word  around  here.  But  we'd  better^  land,  I'm 
thinkin',  as  the  sun  is  most  out  of  sight." 

Jeremiah,  who  was  now  holding  the  tiller,  ran  the 
little  boat  into  a  sheltered  cove,  and  soon,  by  the 
combined  efforts  of  both,  they  stripped  her  of  her 
sails  and  mast,  and  then  hauled  her  up  on  the  shore 
and  concealed  her  within  the  bushes. 

The  sun  had  long  since  disappeared  when  they 
left  the  spot,  and,  in  the  darkness,  well  aware  that 
they  were  in  the  midst  of  many  threatening  dangers, 
they  started  through  the  forest  in  their  effort  to 
make  their  way  to  the  tavern  of  Alexander  Bryan. 


MMiMMIMfaMMMlMMMw 


a  pretty 
just  now, 
mc  thing 
hink  he's 
1.  Some- 
omething 


langerous 
land,    I'm 

ir,  ran  the 

)n,  by  the 

ler  of  her 

the  shore 

^rhen  they 
ware  that 
g  dangers, 
effort  to 
ir  Bryan. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

WHAT   THE    ARMIES    WERE    DOING. 

In  order  to  understand  some  portions  of  this  story 
soon  to  follow,  it  will  be  necessary  for  us  at  this 
time  to   return   and  follow  the   movements  of  the 

armies. 

General  St.  Clair,  as  we  already  know,  had  planned 
to  retreat  by  a  circuitous  route  when  he  hastily 
withdrew  from  I'ort  Ticonderoga,  and  join  General 
Schuyler,  who,  with  about  two  thousand  men,  lay  at 
Fort  Edward  at  that  time. 

General  St.  Clair's  plan  was  good,  but  to  plan, 
and  to  carry  out  a  plan,  are  two  very  different 
matters.  So  while  some  of  the  retreating  army 
were  hastening  by  land  towards  Skenesborough, 
and  others  were  using  all  their  powers  to  escape  by 
water  to  the  same  place,  General  St.  Clair,  with  a 
goodly  portion  of  his  army,  had  been  retreating 
among  the  Green  Hills  of  Vermont,  and  in  hot 
pursuit  of  him  were  General  Eraser's  division  and 
a  band  of  Hessians,  both  of  whom  General  Bur- 
goyne  had  despatched  to  scatter  the  remnants  of 

the  rebel  army. 

183 


^mmwmmmsmm 


1 84 


nVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


General  iMascr's  men  were  in  advance  of  tlic 
Hessians;  for  they  had  started  sooner  and,  besides, 
they  had  marched  with  more  rapidity  than  the  slow- 
moving  Germans.  Consequently  the  firing  which 
Samuel  Goodwin  had  heard  early  in  the  morning 
of  the  7th  of  July,  when  he  and  the  pompous 
young  sergeant  had  left  the  British  army  to  meet 
the  Tories,  who  supposedly  were  advancing  from 
Canada,  had  been  between  General  Eraser's  ad- 
vanced guard  and  the  rear  guard  of  the  retreating 
Americans. 

General  St.  Clair  and  his  army  had  arrived  at 
Hubbardton  on  the  preceding  afternoon.  His  men 
were  in  confusion,  and  fear  was  manifest  on  every 

side. 

Seth  Warner,  with  a  band  of  patriots,  was  at  that 
time  marching  towards  Ticonderoga,  all  unaware 
of  the  disaster  which  had  overtaken  the  fort,  but  at 
Hubbardton  he  fell  in  with  the  retreating  forces. 

General  St.  Clair  hastily  sent  word  for  Colonel 
Francis,  who  was  in  command  of  his  rear  guard,  to 
remain  with  Warner  and  cover  the  retreat  of  the 
main  division,  which  now  pushed  rapidly  forward 
for  Castleton.  Colonel  Warner,  who  was  then  the 
commander  of  the  forces  which  remained  at  Hub- 
bardton, very  foolishly,  and  we  may  also  say  reck- 
lessly, halted  for  the  night,  instead  of  keeping 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  main  body.  How- 
ever, he  caused  many  trees  to  be  felled  before  his 
camp,  and  threw  up  such  obstructions  as  lay  within 


I  lilt  irn'irnfi-T -"-■•■■— 


c  of  tliC 
,  besides, 
the  slow- 
ig  which 

mornini; 
pompous 

to  meet 
ing  from 
iser's  ad- 
•etreating 

irrived  at 
His  men 
on  every 

as  at  that 
unaware 
3rt,  but  at 
forces, 
r  Colonel 
guard,  to 
;at  of  the 
y  forward 
then  the 
i  at  Hub- 
say  reek- 
keeping 
[y.     How- 
before  his 
lay  within 


WHAT   ri/E  .IKAfl /■..";  WERE  DOING. 


185 


his  power  and  mij;ht  hinder  the  liritish  if  they  did 
not  check  them,  in  the  event  of  their  advancing  to 
attack  him. 

It  was  early  in  the  moraiing,  and  the  Americans 
in  Warner's  camp  were  just  preparing  their  break- 
fast, when  the  pickets  were  driven  in  by  the  sharp 
and  unexpected  firing  of  Fraser's  men.  Though  they 
were  completely  surprised,  the  Americans  quickly 
rallied,  and  then,  within  sixty  yards  of  each  other, 
the  two  bodies  formed  for  the  battle. 

The  conflict  at  once  became  fierce.  Colonel 
Francis  seemed  to  be  everywhere  at  once,  and  so 
conspicuous  was  his  bravery  that  many  of  the 
British  looked  upon  him  as  the  commander  instead 
of  Warner ;  and  great  was  their  rejoicing  when  at 
last  he  fell,  fighting  bravely  at  the  head  of  his  regi- 
ment. 

Colonel  Warner  was  so  strongly  supported  that 
the  British,  who  had  advanced,  as  they  usually  did, 
thinking  that  the  Americans  would  quickly  give 
way  before  them,  were  driven  back.  They  formed 
again,  returned  to  the  attack,  and,  charging  bayo- 
nets, compelled   the  Americans  in  turn   to  waver. 

They,  too,  quickly  reformed,  and  once  more  bravely 
advanced  to  the  attack.  So  the  issue  of  the  battle 
wavered  and  swung  back  and  forth.  They  were 
fighting  among  the  treer-,  and  the  precautions 
Colonel  Warner's  men  had  taken  now  became  of 
great  service. 

At  this  moment  General  Riedesel  and  his  Hes- 


gg  riVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 

siuns  appeared,  for  up  to  this  moment  they  had  not 
been  able  to  overtake  their  eompan.ons  m  a.MT.s. 

Quickly  the  Hessian  general  perceived  that  the 
Americans  were  moving  more  and  more  to  the 
right,  and  would  soon  surround  Eraser's  left  wmg. 
Indeed,  at  that  very  moment  word  came  to  him  from 
Fraser  that  he  was  afraid  his  left  wmg  would  be 
surrounded  unless  aid  should  be  received  at  once. 

General  Riedesel  immediately  sent  back  word 
that  he  would  attack  the  right  wing  o  the  Ameri- 
cans  He  called  upon  his  men  to  follow  him  and 
shouting,  and  singing  their  own  national  airs,  they 
advanced.  Their  appearance  was  fo^-^^fble  their 
words  were  strange  and  unknown  and  whde  the 
hardy  troops  met  them  with  a  brisk  fire,  they  were 
nevertheless  frightened  by  the  appearance  of  the 

'* Th?  HeTsians  did  not  pause,  and  as  the  Ameri- 
cans saw  that  they  themselves  were  almost  sur- 
rounded now.  and  soon  would  be  entirely  so  if  they 
remained  in  iheir  present  position,  they  ceased  from 
their  firing  and  began  a  hasty  retreat. 

Twelve  cannons  were  left  behind  them  m  their 
flight,  but  something  of  far  greater  va  ue  than  the 
dofen  pieces  of  artillery  was  left  behind  also:  for 
the  Americans  had  lost  in  the  battle  of  Hubbar^on 
three  hundred  and  twenty-four  men.  The  British 
loss  was  one  hundred  and  eighty-three,  but  among 
them  were  seventeen  of  their  best  officers. 

The  victory  had  cost  the  British  dearly,  and  they 


'  had  not 
arms. 

that  the 
•e  to  the 
left  wing, 
him  from 
would  be 
at  once, 
lack  word 
he  Ameri- 
V  him,  and 

airs,  they 
lable,  their 

while  the 
,  they  were 
nee  of  the 

the  Ameri- 
ilmost  sur- 
y  SO  if  they 
:eased  from 

em  in  their 
Lie  than  the 
id  also:  for 
Hubbardton 
The  British 
,  but  among 
;rs. 
rly,  and  they 


iy//Ar   THE  ARMIES  WERE  DOING.  187 

hardly  knew  what  to  do  with  it,  after  it  had  been 
won.  For  three  hours  the  eight  hundred  frontiers- 
men had  held  the  picked  soldiers  of  Burgoyne's 
army  in  check,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  timely 
arrival  of  the  Hessians,  Fraser  in  all  probability 
would  have  been  taken.  Besides  all  that,  as  the 
Hessians  advanced,  the  Americans  had  no  means 
of  knowing  how  many  there  were  of  them,  and 
perhaps  fancied  the  entire  army  of  Burgoyne  was 
coming.  Their  ammunition  was  now  gone,  and 
they  had  no  medicine  or  shelter  for  their  wounded. 
Meanwhile,  as  we  know,  the  British  were  chas- 
ing the  little  flotilla  of  the  Americans  up  the  lake 
towards  Skenesborough.  With  a  few  shots  of  their 
cannon,  they  had  broken  the  great  chain  which  the 
Americans  had  stretched  across  the  water,  and 
the  boom  and  bridge  had  also  been  destroyed.  The 
passage  was  then  clear,  and  with  the  wind  in  their 
favor  the  British  sailed  up  Wood  creek  and  by 
afternoon  had  overtaken  the  flotilla  at  Skenesbor- 
ough. 

Some  of  Burgoyne's  men  had  meanwhile  landed 
at  South  Bay,  and  were  doing  their  utmost  to  cut  off 
the  retreat  of  the  forces  by  land,  then  to  destroy 
Skenesborough  and  prevent  them  from  making 
their  way  to  Fort  Anne.  While  the  Americans  on 
land  moved  too  rapidly  to  permit  this  to  be  done, 
the  British  frigates,  having  now  come  up,  over- 
powered the  galleys,  and  two  of  them  soon  sur- 
rendered, while  three  were  blown  up. 


jgj^  TIVO   YOUNG  PATKIOTS. 

In  despair  of  being  able  to  make  a  stand  against 
tbeir  enemy,  the  Americans  set  fire  to  then"  posses- 
sions at  Skenesborough,  and  after  having  destroyed 
what  would  not  burn,  began  another  retreat,  this 
time  towards  Fort  Anne. 

Word  of  the  dual  disaster  — the  loss  at  Hubbard- 
ton  and  the  destruction  of  Skenesborough  —  was 
brought  at  the  same  time  to  General  St.  Clair,  who 
had  pushed  on  and  halted  at  Castleton. 

The  general  was  sadly  troubled,  we  may  be  sure. 
His  soldiers  were  discouraged,  cowed,  and  inclined 
no  longer  to  obey  their  leaders ;  for  their  confidence 
in  them  was  fast  passing  away.  The  direct  road  to 
Fort  Edward,  where  he  was  to  join  General  Schuy- 
ler, had  now  also  been  cut  off. 

Desertions  followed,  but  General  St.  Clair  pressed 
on  as  best  he  could,  and  advancing  by  the  way  of 
Rutland,  Manchester,  and  Bennington,  he  succeeded 
at  last  in  gaining  Fort  Edward,  and  joining  Schuy- 
ler's forces  on  the  12th  of  July;  but  he  brought 
with  him  only  about  half  of  the  men  he  had  led  from 
Fort  Ticonderoga.  Colonel  Warner's  men  had  not 
joined  him  either,  but  after  having  rallied  his  little 
band  as  best  he  could,  the  leader  at  last  brought 
them  to  Bennington,  where  he  halted. 

General  Burgoyne  was  now  acting  promptly,  and 
had  he  displayed  the  same  energy  throughout  his 
campaign,  this  story  and  the  American  Revolution 
might  have  had  a  far  different  issue.  Success  be- 
yond his  highest  hopes  had  been  his,  but  the  success 


iMtiiMiw  iWM^W.m  wi  I  III 


mtm 


luiijiiiiwiiiwiw 


IVI/AT   THE  AKA/IES  IV ERE  DOING. 


189 


:1  against 
ir  posses- 
destroyed 
:reat,  this 

Hubbard- 
igh  —  was 
Clair,  who 

ly  be  sure, 
d  inclined 
:onfidence 
;ct  road  to 
ral  Schuy- 

air  pressed 
the  way  of 
succeeded 
ing  Schuy- 
le  brought 
ad  led  from 
len  had  not 
sd  his  little 
ist  brought 

amptly,  and 
)ughout  his 

Revolution 
Success  be- 

the  success 


was  too  easily  won,  and  it  was  not  long  before  the 
British  general  began  to  think  his  forces  invincible, 
all  the  Americans  cowards,  and  that  nothing  could 
now  hinder  his  march  to  join  Clinton.  Much  of 
this,  however,  belongs  to  a  later  portion  of  this 
story,  and  must  be  passed  over  at  this  time. 

As  soon  as  Burgoyne  gained  possession  of  Skenes- 
borough,  in  order  to  increase  the  terror  which  he 
believed  his  success  already  had  produced  among 
the  scattered  people  of  the  region  and  to  cut  off  as 
many  as  possible  from  gaining  Fort  Anne,  he  or- 
dered a  regiment  to  proceed  towards  that  fort. 

The  regiment  had  not  gone  far  before  it  overtook 
and  captured  some  boats  on  which  women,  children, 
and  some  of  the  stores  had  been  placed.  These 
fell  easily  into  their  hands,  and  the  regiment  did 
not  halt  until  it  had  arrived  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  Fort  Anne. 

Here  a  man  joined  them  whom  the  colonel  re- 
ceived as  a  deserter  from  the  Americans,  little 
dreaming  that  he  was  not  a  deserter,  but  a  spy. 

The  stranger  reported  that  the  fort  had  a  strong 
garrison ;  so  the  valiant  colonel  halted  his  veterans, 
and  sent  back  for  reinforcements. 

The  "  strong  garrison "  in  the  fort  consisted  of 
five  hundred  men,  many  of  them  ill  or  wounded, 
and  in  no  condition  either  to  make  or  resist  an 
attack.  But  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  and  Colonel 
Long,  who  were  in  command,  having  been  stationed 
there  by  General  Schuyler  himself,  were  not  men  to 


wwa>lii%witiu*JSfci« 


ii'iH»M,iii— aiMiimi'WI 


|iU~J-.ll-UHl- 


,^  TiyO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 

give  up  easily,  and  having  learned  from  the  "de- 
terter,"  who  had  now  returned  ^^nd  reported  the 
exact  condition  of  affairs  in  the  British  camp, 
they   quickly  decided  to  do  the   attacking  them- 

'^  Th"^  plans  were  carefully  formed,  and  early  on  the 
following  morning  (the  8th  of  July)  Colonel  Long 
and  his  men  suddenly  burst  forth  h;om  the  fort  and 
attacked  the  British  in  front;  while  Colonel  Van 
Rensselaer  and  his  men,  passing  through  the  woods 
around  the  left  flank  of  the  British,  at  the  same 
time  rushed  upon  them. 

Shouts,  shots,  and  calls  were  mingled  and  the 
startled  British  quickly  fled  for  refuge  to  the  top  o 
the  hill,  but  the  Americans  pressed  steadily  on  after 
them  For  two  hours  the  engagement  continued, 
and  ihe  Americans  steadily  were  gaining,  when 
suddenly  it  was  learned  that  their  ammunition  had 

^' At  tTJ'same  time  a  band  of  Indians,  yelling  and 
brandishing  their  tomahawks,  rushed  forth  from  the 
woods.  The  combined  misfortunes  were  too  much 
to  be  borne,  and  the  Yankee  colonels  speedily  de- 
parted, -  after  having  also  learned  that  a  large  body 
of  reinforcements  for  the  British  was  on  its  way 
from    Burgoyne,-and   safely  made  their  way  to 

Fort  Edward.  ,        .     ,    ^  u  j 

The  British,  having  ascertained  that  the  fort  had 

been  abandoned,  soon  withdrew,  and  returned  to 

the  main  army,  and  a  few  days  later  the  Americans 


the  "de- 
jrted  the 
ih  camp, 
ng  them- 

rly  on  the 
nel  Long 
;  fort  and 
onel  Van 
the  woods 
the  same 

I,  and  the 
the  top  of 
ly  on  after 
continued, 
ing,  when 
nition  had 

celling  and 
:h  from  the 
:  too  much 
ipeedily  de- 
,  large  body 
on  its  way 
leir  way  to 

he  fort  had 

returned  to 

Americans 


^' 


IVIIAT    THE  ARMIES   WERE   DOLVG. 


191 


again  occupied  the  fort,  or  rather  what  there  was 
then  remaining  of  it. 

A  stretch  of  sixteen  miles  lay  between  Fort  Anne 
and  Fort  Edward.  Swamps  and  hills  abounded; 
and  the  few  roads  were  rough  and  in  places  well- 
nigh  impassable.  General  Schuyler  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  increase  the  difficulties  of  Burgoyne  in 
moving  his  forces. 

Had  the  British  general  continued  to  act  with 
the  energy  and  promptness  he  had  displayed  up  to 
this  time,  doubtless  all  of  Schuyler's  efforts  would 
have  been  useless. 

As  it  was,  however,  he  caused  the  roads  to  be 
dug  up  in  places  and  obstructed;  he  threw  great 
rocks  into  Wood  creek,  so  that  vessels  could  not 
pass  up  it ;  he  destroyed  what  bridges  there  were ; 
he  felled  trees  directly  across  the  roads  in  such  a 
manner  that  their  branches  interlocked  and  made 
almost  an  impenetrable  wall;  he  opened  trenches, 
and,  in  fact,  did  so  many  things  of  a  similar  nature 
that  the  British  general  was  troubled  on  every  side. 

His  own  inclination  now  was  to  delay,  and  his 
soldiers  did  not  murmur;  for  the  wilderness  was 
difficult  for  them  to  act  in.  At  the  time  when  Gen- 
eral Schuyler  increased  their  troubles  after  the  man- 
ner we  have  described,  their  efforts  were  all  required 
in  other  directions.  Still,  it  is  now  known  that  had 
Burgoyne  then  pushed  steadily  forward,  he  probably 
could  have  made  his  way  successfully  to  Albany 
and  joined  Clinton. 


■MiiWiim"!^'  iffTr- 


jg2  ril'O   YOUNG  I'ATKIOTS. 

His  labor  for  a  time  now  consisted  in  removing 
the  obstacles  which  Schuyler  had  placed  in  his 
pathway  He  had  to  build  more  than  forty  bridges, 
one  of  which  was  over  a  swamp  and  more  than  two 

miles  in  length. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  he  delayed,  and  gave  the 
Americans  time  to  assemble  and  concentrate  their 
forces,  while  he  sent  Colonel  Baum  and  a  detach- 
ment of  Hessians  to  Bennington,  to  scatter  the 
rebels  and  seize  the  stores  which  he  had  heard  had 
been  collected  there. 

General  de  Ricdesel  strongly  opposed  the  plan, 
and  even  begged  that  the  men  should  be  sent  by 
the  way  of  Castleton.  when  he  saw  that  Burgoyne 
was  determined  upon  the  movement. 

Again  the  British  general  made  a  mistake;  for 
had  his  men  fallen  upon  the  rear  of  the  Americans, 
doubtless  they  would  have  won. 

But  Burgoyne  would  listen  to  no  words  of  advice 
Confident  that  the  Americans  could  not,  or  would 
not,  stand  before  his  troops,  and  that  many  of  them 
would  flock  to  his  standard,  he  insisted  upon  carry- 
ing  out  his  plan,  and  Colonel  Baum  and  the  Hes- 
sians were  ordered  to  march  to  Bennington. 

The  Hessians,  besides  being  unfamiliar  with  the 
country  and  with  the  frontier  methods  of  fighting, 
were  not  well  equipped  for  the  service.  They  wore 
hicrh  and  heavy  jack  boots  on  which  there  were 
Vm»  spurs,  stiff  leather  breeches,  gauntlets  that 
can?e  well  up  on  their  arms,  and  huge  hats  over 
which  waved  a  great  plume  of  feathers. 


aaqoa 


1 


WHAT  THE  ARMIES  WERE  DOING, 


193 


removing 

;cl   in  his 

y  bridges, 

than  two 

gave  the 
rate  their 
a  cletach- 
catter  the 
heard  had 

1  the  plan, 

DC  sent  by 

Burgoyne 

listake;  for 
Americans, 

s  of  advice, 
t,  or  would 
ny  of  them 
upon  carry- 
id  the  Hes- 
ton. 

iar  with  the 
of  fighting. 
They  wore 
there  were 
untlets  that 
e   hats  over 


By  their  sides  trailed  great  broadswords ;  short 
but  heavy  carbines  were  slung  over  their  shoulders, 
while  down  their  backs  hung  their  long  queues. 
Surely  while  many  of  the  Americans  could  boast  of 
no  uniforms,  their  condition  was  much  better  than 
that  of  soldiers  equipped  as  were  these  Hessians  for 
a  march  through  the  forests,  and  for  an  engagement 
on  a  warm  summer  day. 

Such,  then,  was  the  true  condition  of  affairs  in 
the  two  armies ;  but  as  the  days  passed  it  was  long 
before  Jairus  or  Jeremiah  learned  of  it,  and  as  for 
Samuel  Goodwin,  weeks  passed  between  the  reports 
of  the  muskets,  which  he  and  the  pompous  young 
sergeant  heard  when  they  left  Eraser's  army  near 
Hubbardton,  and  the  time  when  again  the  move- 
ments of  either  the  British  or  the  American  armies 
were  known  by  him. 

And  General  John  Burgoyne  up  to  this  time  had 
steadily  and  easily  carried  everything  before  him. 
What  success  attended  his  future  efforts  must  be 
related  in  the  chapters  which  follow. 


I 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Samuel's  return. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  young  Samuel 
Goodwin  and  the  youthful  sergeant  came  clos^e  to 
the  New  York  shore  of  the  lake.  Theirs  had  been 
the  only  boat  seen  during  their  voyage,  and  the 
sounds  of  the  musketry  which  they  had  heard,  when 
they  hurriedly  left  the  British  army  near  Hubbard- 
ton,  had  been  the  only  tokens  of  the  terrible  strug- 
cle  which  was  going  on  in  that  region. 

And   Samuel  was   sadly  troubled.     It  was  true 
that  for  the  time  being  he  had  left  the  British  army, 
but  there  was  little  to  cheer  him  in  the  prospect. 
He  know  that  already  many  of  those  scattered  set- 
tlers in  Vermont,  who  dwelt  west  of  the  mountams. 
had  yielded  to  the  pressure  of  the  British  and  to 
their  own  fears,  and  while  they  had  not  openly 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  king,  had  nevertheless 
taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  crown  and  had 
thereby  ceased  to  be  friendly  to  the  cause  of  the 

colonies.  ,     ,      i    j  -i.    •  a., 

Burgoyne's  proclamation  had  also  had  its  intlu- 

ence,  and  many  who  in  their  hearts  had  no  love  for 

194 


— 'tmmm'- 


^ 


SAMUELS  RETURN. 


195 


g  Samuel 
c  close  to 

had  been 
;,  and  the 
card,  when 

Hubbard- 
ible  Strug- 

t  was  true 
itish  army, 
e  prospect, 
ittered  set- 
mountains, 
tish  and  to 
not  openly 
levertheless 
irn  and  had 
ause  of  the 

id  its  influ- 
,  no  love  for 


the  redcoats  had  come  to  look  upon  the  struggle 
as  practically  ended.  Raw  recruits  and  rough  men 
of  the  frontier  would  make  but  a  poor  showing 
against  the  well-trained  and  better  equipped  forces 
of  General  Burgoyne,  so  they  thought,  and  so 
Samuel  Goodwin  was  beginning  to  believe.  Cer- 
tainly, the  stand  which  St.  Clair  had  made  at  old 
Fort  Ty  was  not  very  promising,  and  if  that  could 
be  considered  as  a  sample  of  the  bravery  of  the 
Continentals,  the  result  of  the  campaign  would  not 
long  be  left  in  doubt.  Practically  without  the  loss 
of  a  man,  the  British  had  swept  the  lake,  gained 
the  fort,  and  seized  the  most  of  its  equipments  and 
stores. 

Added  to  all  this  was  the  thought  of  his  mother. 
Where  she  now  was,  he  did  not  know.  The  bands 
of  prowling  savages,  the  pathless  forest,  the  want  of 
food  and  protection,  were  only  too  familiar  to  him, 
and  the  gloom  which  surrounded  the  lad  was  not 
dispelled  as  the  little  boat  made  its  way  slowly 
across  the  lake  under  the  gentle  breeze  which  just 
rippled  the  surface. 

"You  don't  seem  to  be  very  eager  to  see  your 
father,"  said  the  young  sergeant  at  last. 

"  Don't  I  ? "  replied  Samuel,  striving  to  rouse 
himself  to  a  display  of  some  interest.  "  Well,  per- 
haps I  don't,  that's  a  fact.  But  somehow  I  can't 
get  the  sound  of  those  guns  over  by  Hubbardton 
out  of  my  ears.  I  can  almost  see  the  men  falling 
on  every  side." 


igllliirtnllll'ii 


J 


196 


Tli'O   YOUNG  VAIKIOTS. 


"I'ooh!  tliL-y'rc  only  the  rebels  fallinj;,  and  you 
needn't  waste  any  sympathy  on  them.  If  it  was 
our  side,  you  might  feel  that  way,  but  it's  only  the 
rebel  Yankees,  that's  all." 

"  That's  enough,"  replied  Samuel.  "  If  you  had 
some  of  your  own  friends  there,  you  might  sing  a 
different  tune.     For  my  part,  I  wish  the  whole  thmg 

was  over." 

"  It'll  be  over  soon  enough,  never  you  fret  your- 
self about  that.  I  fancy  it's  pretty  much  over  now, 
for  that  matter.  I  don't  see  what  they  wanted  to 
send  us  off  on  this  wild-goose  chase  for,  anyway. 
We  don't  need  any  more  help,  with  all  due  respect 
to  your  paternal  relative.  I  think  we  could  have 
made  out  to  get  along  very  well  without  his  valuable 

aid." 

Samuel  thought  of  the  eagerness  the  young  ser- 
ceant  had  displayed  to  hasten  to  the  boat,  at  the 
time  when  the  sound  of  the  guns  had  been  heard 
in  their  rear;  but  he  was  playing  a  part  now,  and 
must  not  forget  himself. 

Accordingly  he  made  no  reply,  but  as  he  per- 
ceived that  they  were  running  close  inshore,  he 
became  interested  as  he  recalled  one  after  another  of 
the  familiar  spots.  He  and  his  brother  had  fished 
together  in  this  part  of  the  lake,  and  paddled  up 
and  down  it  in  the  light  little  canoes  they  had  ob- 
tained from  the  Indians.  Only  a  step  back  from  the 
shore  was  their  home.  How  he  and  Jairus  had 
worked  together  there  I    The  sheep-pen  had  been 


S.tAfUKl.'S  A'A TURN. 


m 


and  you 

If   it  was 

only  the 

you  had 
ht  sing  a 
lole  thing 

fret  your- 
over  now, 
wanted  to 
r,  anyway, 
ue  respect 
:ould  have 
is  valuable 

young  ser- 
oat,  at  the 
)een  heard 
t  now,  and 

as  he  per- 
inshore,  he 
•  another  of 
had  fished 
paddled  up 
»ey  had  ob- 
ck  from  the 
Jairus  had 
n  had  been 


built  by  thcin,  and  llu-y  had  fclKd  tlu-  gnat  trees, 
made  potash  uf  their  ashes,  and  had  tilled  the  little 
clearings,  in  their  eagerness  to  gain  a  home  for 
themselves  and  their  widowed  mother.  But  all  that 
was  past  now.  i'he  home  was  broken  uj).  His 
mother  had  disappeared,  and  where  his  brother 
J  aims  was,  was  only  a  matter  of  conjecture. 

Rousing  himself  by  an  effort,  he  turned  to  his 
companion  as  he  said  :  "  I  think  this  island's  a  good 
place  to  spend  the  night  on.     Let's  land  here." 

"What  do  we  want  to  land  for.?  Why  can't  we 
just  keep  on  all  night?  We'll  get  word  to  your 
father  up  at  St.  John's  all  the  quicker,  and  can 
then  come  back  to  the  army.  I  don't  want  to  lose 
all  the  fun.  I  suppose  I  feel  differently  from  you 
about  this  matter,  but  you  know  an  officer  can't 
think  of  himself  alone." 

"  I  know  that's  so,  Sergeant,  but  I  know  this  lake 
too.  There's  a  chance  of  striking  a  rock,  and  be- 
sides all  that,  there  may  be  some  of  the  Indians  in 
the  woods  here,  who  wouldn't  always  stop  to  inquire 
whether  you  were  Sergeant  Richmond  or  not;  or 
whether  you  were  a  rebel  Yankee  or  a  redcoat." 

"  That's  so.  That's  so,"  replied  the  sergeant 
quickly,  although  Samuel  could  not  determine 
whether  it  was  his  reference  to  him  as  an  officer, 
or  his  incidental  mentioning  the  possible  presence 
of  the  Indians,  that  induced  him  to  acquiesce  in 
his  suggestion  so  readily. 

At  his  companion's  suggestion,  Samuel  now  took 


To8 


TIVO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


the  tiller,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  little  cat-boat 
was  grounded  on  the  pebbly  beach,  and  drawn  up 
on  th^'e  shore.  The  lad  had  already  formed  a  plan 
in  his  own  mind,  but  he  knew  the  present  was  no 
time  for  its  execution ;  so  he  soon  joined  the  young 
sergeant  and  made  a  hearty  supper  upon  the  pro- 
visbns  with  which  the  boat  had  been  well  sup- 
plied   when    they    set    forth    from    the   Vermont 

shore.  ,       m     c 

The  sun  had  long  since  disappeared.  No  tire 
had  been  kindled,  for  Samuel  had  explained  that 
it  might  attract  the  attention  of  their  enemies,  and 
the  sergeant  had  made  no  protest.  The  air  of  the 
summer  night  was  soft  and  balmy,  and  the  rough 
music  of  the  frogs  and  the  occasional  call  of  some 
night  bird  were'  all  the  sounds  that  disturbed  the 

silence. 

Behind  them  rose  the  great  shadows  of  the  moun- 
tains, while  the  lake  lay  as  smooth  before  them  as 
if  it  had  been  of  glass.  The  scene  was  depressing, 
however,  in  spite  of  its  peaceful  appearance,  and  for 
a  time  neither  of  the  young  soldiers  spoke  as  they 
remained  seated  by  the  shore  where  they  had  had 

their  supper. 

Samuel's  thoughts  were  not  idle,  however,  and  at 
last  he  broached  the  project  which  had  been,  in  his 
mind  ever  since  they  had  approached  the  New  York 

shore.  . 

"  We'll  want  to  put  out  early  in  the  mornmg,  and 
ought  to  reach  my  uncle's  — I  mean  my  father's  — 


L 


cat-boat 
hawn  up 
:cl  a  plan 
it  was  no 
he  young 

the  pro- 
well  sup- 
Vermont 

No  fire 
tined  that 
imies,  and 
air  of  the 
the  rough 
II  of  some 
;urbed  the 

the  moun- 
e  them  as 
depressing, 
ce,  and  for 
Ice  as  they 
y  had  had 

ver,  and  at 

)een.  in  his 

New  York 

jrning,  and 
r  father's  — 


SAAfUF.r:S  KF.rURN. 


199 


before  night.     We  can  do  it  if  we  have  any  wind 
at  all,  and  nobody  interferes  with  us." 

"  Yes,  we  want  to  make  an  early  start.  I  wasn't 
in  favor  of  stopping  at  all,  but  as  you're  the  pilot,  I 
suppose  I  must.  Don't  you  think  we'd  better  go 
on  now } " 

"  No,  no,"  said  Samuel  quickly.  "  I'll  tell  you 
what  I  want  to  do.  Before  you're  awake  to-morrow 
morning,  I  want  to  take  the  skiff  and  go  ashore.  I 
know  this  spot  where  we  arc,  and  right  in  back  from 
the  shore  my  mother  —  my  uncle,  I  mean  —  lives. 
Now  I'll  run  up  there,  and  if  anybody's  at  home,  I 
can  find  out,  and  it  may  be  my  uncle  himself  will  be 
there.     I  know  he  does  come  there  often." 

"You  say  your  uncle  lives  back  there  in  the 
woods?"  said  the  young  sergeant, sitting  upright  at 
once. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Samuel,  "  not  over  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  back  from  the  shore,  I  should  think." 

"  Well,  then,  why  in  the  name  of  common  sense 
don't  we  put  straight  for  there  now  ?  We'll  have  a 
place  to  sleep  in,  and  it  may  be  they'll  need  our  pro- 
tection.    They're  straight  royalists,  aren't  they  ?  " 

"  Oh,  they're  all  straight  enough,  no  doubt  about 
that,"  said  Samuel  hastily,  detecting  at  once  the  fear 
of  his  companion  to  pass  the  night  on  the  island. 
"  But  you  see  I'm  not  sure  anybody's  there.  In 
times  like  these  no  one  knows  but  they  may 
have  put  out  for  safety.  Then,  too,  the  place  is 
right  by  the  trail  from  Schroon  lake  to  Canada,  and 


200 


ril^O   YOUNG  PATRTOTS. 


I  don't  want  to  run  the  risk  of  liavinq:  an  Indian 
send  his  tomahawk  at  me  in  the  dark.  However, 
if  you  want  to  go,  I'll  not  say  a  word." 

"  No,  no,"  protested  the  oilficer  in  His  Majesty's 
army.  "  We're  all  right  here.  Do  you  think  it  will 
be  safe  for  you  to  go  up  there  in  the  morning? 
Perhaps  we'd  better  not  wait,  but  start  right  out." 

"  Perfectly  safe.  Perfectly  safe,"  said  Samuel, 
rejoicing  as  he  saw  the  effect  of  his  own  suggestion. 
"  I'll  go  up,  and  you  can  expect  me  to  be  back  before 
you're  fairly  awake.  If  you  don't  mind,  I  think  we'd 
better  turn  in  now;  for  I  confess  I'm  pretty  well 
tired  out,  with  all  we've  had  to  go  through.  It's  no 
light  piece  of  work,  this  chasing  the  Yankees.  They 
can  run  if  they  can't  do  anything  else." 

"  That  they  can,"  laughed  his  companion.  "  I'm 
ready  to  turn  in.  The  only  thing  I  had  thought  of 
was  that  it  might  be  a  good  thing  for  one  of  us  to 
stand  guard.     Still,  I  don't  know  that  it's  necessary." 

"  We'll  crawl  back  into  the  bushes,  and  we'll  both 
be  on  guard  somewhat,  I'm  thinking,"  replied 
Samuel. 

The  boys  took  their  blankets  from  the  boat,  and 
withdrawing  within  the  shelter  of  the  trees,  soon 
stretched  themselves  upon  the  ground. 

The  youthful  sergeant  was  soon  asleep,  but  to 
Samuel  no  sleep  came.  He  was  so  near  his  home, 
and  was  so  eager  to  see  it  once  more,  that  it  was 
difficult  for  him  to  wait  for  the  morning  to  come. 
However,   the   very   means   he   had    employed   to 


n  Indian 
However, 

Majesty's 
ink  it  will 
norning  ? 
It  out." 

Samuel, 
iggestion. 
ck  before 
hink  we'd 
etty  well 
It's  no 
;s.    They 

m.  "  I'm 
t.cught  of 
of  us  to 
ecessary." 
ive'll  both 
'    replied 

boat,  and 
ees,  soon 

p,  but  to 
his  home, 
lat  it  was 
to  come. 
)loyed   to 


SAMUEL'S  RETURN. 


201 


arouse  the  fears  of  his  companion  were  not  without 
weight  in  his  own  mind.  The  visit  of  the  Panther 
to  the  sheep-pen  and  passage  of  the  Indians  he  had 
witnessed  from  the  hiding-place  in  the  tree,  came 
back  in  his  thoughts  now,  and  in  spite  of  his  eager- 
ness, he  was  content  to  await  the  coming  of  the 
morning  before  making  his  attempt.  Not  much 
sleep  came  to  him  that  night.  His  missing  brother 
was  often  in  his  thoughts,  and  the  many  sad 
troubles  of  his  mother  could  not  be  forgotten.  The 
very  silence  of  the  night  was  oppressive,  and  it  was 
with  a  feeling  of  relief  that  at  last  he  perceived  the 
coming  of  the  dawn. 

The  lad  made  his  way  down  to  the  shore  with- 
out disturbing  his  companion,  who  was  still  sleeping 
soundly,  and  as  he  approached  the  boat  a  new 
suggestion  came  to  him.  Should  he  take  the  skiff, 
or  both  the  skiff  and  the  boat.?  His  companion 
then  would  certainly  be  unable  to  make  any  re- 
port of  his  failure  to  return;  for  Samuel  had  no 
thought  of  coming  back  to  the  pompous  young  ser- 
geant. He  had  had  quite  enough  of  his  company 
already. 

He  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  concluded  to 
leave  the  boat  and  take  only  the  skiff.  Had  he 
known  the  purpose  for  which  the  boat  would  be 
used  that  very  day,  doubtless  he  would  have  done 
very  differently. 

He  quickly  set  out  in  the  skiff,  and  it  was  not 
until  he  had  arrived  at  the  shore  that  he  remem- 


202 


TIVO   YOUNG  PATRtOTS. 


bered  thai  he  had  left  one  of  the  guns  in  the  boat. 
He  certainly  ought  to  have  taken  the  sergeant's 
as  well  as  his  own,  he  thought,  but  he  was  now  on 
shore,  and  was  so  eager  to  go  up  to  his  home  that 
all  other  things  for  the  moment  were  ignored  or 

forgotten. 

The  lad  had  not  seen  the  weather-beaten  face  of 
an  old  soldier  who  had  peered  from  behind  a  tree 
and  watched  his  departure  from  the  island,  nor  if 
he  had  seen  him  would  he  ever  have  dreamed  who 
the  old  soldier's  companion  was.  So  close  often- 
times do  we  come  to  the  very  things  we  most  desire, 
and  yet  our  eyes  fail  to  see,  and  our  ears  to  hear. 

Samuel  was  not  thinking  of  these  matters  as  he 
hastily  landed  and  started  swiftly  up  the  rough 
pathway.  How  many  times  he  had  been  over  it 
before,  and  how  familiar  the  very  trees  of  the  forest 
were  1  And  not  far  away  was  his  home.  Perhaps 
his  mother  might  be  there  now ! 

Filled  with  the  thought,  he  increased  his  speed 
and  soon  came  to  the  place  where  the  house  had 
stood.  Where  it  had  stood,  for  now  it  was  standing 
no  longer.  With  a  cry  of  astonishment  Samuel 
stopped  and  looked  before  him.  Only  a  pile  of 
ashes  and  charred  timbers  stood  where  the  house 

had  been. 

Swiftly,  then,  the  lad  ran  forward  and  stopped  by 
the  ruins.  It  could  not  be  true !  Still,  there  were 
the  ashes  and  the  rude  foundations  of  the  house. 
He  turned  and  looked  about  him  as  if  he  half  ex- 


"ift 


SAMUEL'S  RETURN. 


203 


the  boat, 
crtieant's 
s  now  on 
ome  that 
;nored  or 

m  face  of 
nd  a  tree 
nd,  nor  if 
imed  who 
3se  often- 
ost  desire, 
;o  hear, 
ters  as  he 
he   rough 
;n  over  it 
the  forest 
Perhaps 

his  speed 

house  had 

s  standing 

it  Samuel 

a  pile  of 

the  house 

stopped  by 
there  were 
the  house, 
he  half  ex- 


pected to  see  the  savages  who  had  done  tlie  deed; 
for  Samuel  at  once  concluded  that  the  Indians  must 
have  been  the  guilty  ones.  But  no  one  was  within 
sight.  The  soft  yellow  light  of  the  rising  sun  was 
streaming  through  the  forest.  The  squirrels  were 
darting  about  the  branches,  and  the  air  was  filled 
with  the  songs  of  the  early  birds.  But  the  ruins 
of  the  house  were  all  that  remained  to  show  that 
the  eye  of  another  human  being  had  ever  looked 
upon  the  spot.  It  did  not  seem  to  him  possible 
that  such  misfortune  could  come,  and  yet  come  it 
had.  And  perhaps  his  mother,  and  it  might  be  his 
brother  also,  had  been  burned  in  the  burning  home. 
There  were  moments  when  the  tears  came  into  his 
eyes,  and  then  again  his  eyes  would  be  dry  and  hard, 
and  he  felt  as  if  something  was  holding  his  throat 
in  a  tight  grasp. 

All  this,  however,  did  not  prevent  him  from  con- 
tinuing his  investigations,  and  for  a  half-hour  he 
searched  about  the  ruins,  half  expecting  and  half 
fearing  to  find  something  which  should  indicate  the 
fate  which  had  befallen  his  mother.  But  his  search 
was  unrewarded,  and  the  mystery  still  remained. 

Suddenly  Samuel  thought  of  the  sheep-pen,  and 
started  directly  towards  the  place.  He  had  no  ex- 
pectation of  finding  anything  there  to  aid  him,  but 
in  his  bitter  disappointment  and  grief  he  followed 
the  first  suggestion  that  came  to  his  mind.  In  a 
few  moments  the  ruins  of  the  sheep-pen  were  before 
him. 


\ 


rm'ftrmmx' 


204 


Tlf^O    VOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


Here,  however,  a  new  lii!;ht  appeared;  for  from 
some  of  the  ashes  a  Httlc  curl  of  smoke  was  still  ris- 
ing, and  he  knew  that  the  marauders  could  not  have 
been  gone  long.  He  glanced  hurriedly  about  him, 
but  only  the  trees  of  the  forest  could  be  seen.  The 
pen  must  have  been  burned  after  the  destruction  of 
the  house,  he  instantly  perceived,  for  these  were 
the  only  ashes  which  were  still  smouldering. 

For  a  time  he  still  remained  and  walked  about 
the  clearing,  like  one  bereft  of  his  mind.  He 
dimly  realized  that  by  remaining  there  he  might  be 
a  target  for  some  unseen  enemy,  concealed,  it  might 
be,  behind  some  tree  ;  but  he  was  not  thinking  of 
himself,  or  of  his  own  danger.  It  was  his  mother 
now.  The  house  had  been  burned,  and  it  was  more 
than  probable  that  his  mother  was  no  more. 

Suddenly,  as  he  glanced  again  along  the  trail  that 
led  through  the  forest,  he  thought  he  perceived 
something  moving  in  the  distance.  In  an  instant 
he  thought  of  the  hiding-place  in  the  tree  which  he 
and  Jairus  and  Arthur  had  made.  His  heart,  in 
spite  of  his  grief,  became  hard  as  he  remembered 
his  cousin,  but  not  hesitating  a  moment,  he  quickly 
climbed  the  tree  and  gained  the  resting-place,  which 
had  been  undisturbed,  and  he  thought  probably  un- 
discovered. Once  there,  he  waited  in  breathless 
suspense   to  learn  whether  his  eyes'  had  deceived 

him  or  not. 

As  the  minutes  passed,  the  lad  could  almost  hear 
the  beating  of  his  heart.     The  morning  sun  was 


II  iw,  II  Lvutim 


SAMUEL'S  RETUHN. 


205 


for  from 
,s  still  ris- 

not  have 
bout  him, 
:en.  The 
ruction  of 
lese  were 

ced  about 
ind.  He 
;  might  be 
i,  it  might 
linking  of 
lis  mother 
:  was  more 
ire. 
e  trail  that 

perceived 
an  instant 
2  which  he 
i  heart,  in 
smembered 
he  quickly 
lace,  which 
■obably  un- 

breathless 
d  deceived 

ilmost  hear 
g  sun  was 


climbing  higher  now  and  giving  the  promise  of  a 
warm  day,  but  Samuel  Goodwin  was  thinking  of 
other  things,  and  the  sun  and  the  heat  were  both 
forgotten. 

He  had  almost  concluded  that  his  eyes  had  de- 
ceived him,  when  suddenly  two  men  stepped  forth 
into  the  clearing  and  approached  the  ashes;  and 
the  lad,  now  breathing  hard  and  thoroughly  fright- 
ened, peered  down  upon  the  strangers. 

One  of  them  was  clad  in  a  brown  tow-shirt  and 
rough-looking  trousers,  but  he  was  barefooted. 
Over  his  broad  shoulders  were  hanging  his  shot- 
bags  and  powder-horns,  the  latter  plainly  having 
corn-cob  stoppers.  He  carried  his  rifle  in  his  hands, 
and  as  he  approached,  his  whole  bearing  indicated 
the  possession  of  great  physical  strength. 

His  companion  wore  a  hunting-shirt  and  his 
leggings  were  trimmed  with  fur,  while  his  feet  were 
shod  with  moccasins.  He,  too,  carried  a  rifle,  and 
the  trembling  Samuel,  even  in  his  excitement,  per- 
ceived that  it  had  two  barrels.  He  had  never  seen 
or  heard  of  such  a  thing  before,  but  his  attention 
was  speedily  drawn  to  the  man's  hunting-shirt. 
Some  words  had  been  worked  upon  it,  and  at  first 
he  could  not  decipher  them.  Soon,  however,  he 
made  them  out,  and  as  he  read  the  words  "  Liberty 
or  Death,"  his  own  feeling  of  alarm  at  the  sight 
of  the  short,  broad-shouldered,  powerful  man  was 
greatly  increased. 


MM 


m0^ 


! 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A   TOILSOME   JOURNEY. 

The  two  men  advanced  cautiously  towards  the 
ruins  of  the  sheep-pen,  each  holding  his  rifle  in 
readiness  for  use,  and  glancing  keenly  about  them 
as  they  approached.  Apparently  the  sight  of  the 
still  smouldering  ashes  troubled  them ;  for  they  care- 
fully examined  the  ground,  evidently  searching  for 
something  which  might  furnish  a  solution  to  the 

^' As'^I^on  as  they  had  finished  their  examination, 
they  stood  together  and  conversed  for  a  few  mo- 
ments in  such  low  tones  that  the  listening  Samuel 
was  unable  to  hear  anything  that  was  said.     1  heir 
hesitation  lasted  but  a  moment,  for  they  soon  turned 
and  followed  the  path  which  led  towards  the  house 
Greatly  relieved  by  their  departure,  Samuel  s  first 
thought  was  to  descend  from  his  hiding-place  and 
start  at  once  for  the  forest;  but  the  fear  of  the  re- 
turn of  the  strangers,  and  his  own  detection,  held 
him  back,  and  he  concluded  to  wait  a  little  longer 
in  his  place  of   concealment,  which  thus  far  had 
escaped  their  notice. 

ao6 


mt' 


towards  the 
his  rifle  in 
about  them 
sight  of  the 
ar  they  care- 
earching  for 
ution  to  the 

examination, 
r  a  few  mo- 
tiing  Samuel 
said.     Their 
J  soon  turned 
is  the  house. 
Samuel's  first 
Ing-place  and 
;ar  of  the  re- 
etection,  held 
I  little  longer 
thus  far  had 


A    TOILSOME  JOUKNEY. 


207 


The  lad  had  no  means  of  knowing  who  or  what 
the  strangers  were,  but  in  his  present  state  of  alarm 
every  man  to  him  might  be  an  enemy.  Those 
strange  words  on  the  shirt  of  one  of  them  — 
"Liberty  or  Death"  —  were  certainly  suggestive, 
and  while  there  was  nothing  in  them  to  indicate  to 
which  side  the  man  who  bore  them  belonged,  it 
never  once  entered  his  mind  that  he  could  be  a 
friend.  They  were  both  rugged-appearing  men 
whom  he  did  not  wish  to  meet,  and  the  fact  that 
one  of  them  was  barefooted  and  the  other  carried 
a  rifle  with  two  barrels  did  not  increase  his  feeling 
of  confidence.  Doubtless  they  were  "  cowboys,"  as 
many  of  the  marauding  Tories  were  called,  and 
Samuel  soon  concluded  that  his  best  plan  was  to 
remain  where  he  then  was. 

When  a  half-hour  had  passed,  however,  and 
nothing  more  was  seen  of  the  two  strangers,  he 
cautiously  and  slowly  descended  the  tree,  still  retain- 
ing the  gun  he  had  brought  from  the  boat,  and  stood 
for  a  moment  by  its  base,  listening  intently  and  peer- 
ing keenly  about  him. 

Satisfied  that  no  one  was  within  sight,  he  made 
his  way  across  the  little  clearing  towards  the  sheep- 
pen.  A  little  curl  of  smoke  was  still  rising  from 
one  spot  in  the  ashes,  and  as  the  lad  waited  a 
moment  a  flood  of  bitter  thoughts  swept  over  him. 
How  cruel  and  needless  the  whole  struggle  was! 
What  had  he  ever  done  to  have  brought  upon  him 
and   his  mother  such   wanton    destruction !      He 


iM«M 


I 
! 

i 


208 


riyO   YOUNd   r.lTK/OTS. 


thouRht  of  thu  rctrcal  from  Ticomlcrog:.,  and  a»un 
t  could  hear  .he  sound  of  .he  guns  over  by  Hu  > 
bard.on.      And    what    was  .he  cause  of  1.   alU 
NornR  but   .he   obs.inacy  of  certain   men  who 
S"  t'   have  been  friends,  but   who  had  shown 
thLselves  in  anything  but  a  fr.endly  l;«ht.    burdy 
the  iniquities  of  the  guilty  were  vis. ted  upon  the 
nno^ent     And  was  the  struggle  worth  what  .t  was 
„s"ng  ■    Thousands  of  lives  already  had  been  sac- 
rmced  many  homes  had  been  made,  desolate,  and 
osses  beyond  his  power  to  compute  already  had 
tZ  the  portio"  "'  ">-  brave-hearted  Cont,nent=ds. 
Samuel  was  not  thinking  of  h.s  country.     Indeed, 
helrdly  knew  whether  he  had  a  country  or  not 
for  his  o«n  heart  was  hot  within  him  at  the  thought 
of  the  Lrows  which  had  multiplied  and  swept  over 
hm  of  late.     His  mother- where  was  she?    And 
'Ishad  disappeared  as  -m^etely  a.  had  h.s  own 
home.    Surely,  all  this  was  sufficient,  he  thought,  to 
make  any  lad  feel  as  it  he  were  living  in  sad  times, 
r„d  nonlof  us,  in  the  larger  light  which  has  smce 
come  to  us,  can  find  it  in  our  hearts  .0  btoe  h.m. 

All  thes;  thoughts  had  passed  through  his  mind 
very  quickly:  for  Samuel  Goodwin  was  not  one  to 
Se?andbmoanhis  misfortunes  at  a  time  when 
prompt  action  was  required.  He  Hnge-J.h"  » 
moment  by  the  ruins  of  the  sheep-pen.  which  lay 
Te Ty  in  his  path  to  the  forest,  and  then  turned 
,Sy  and  «-  ''hout  to  dart  into  the  woods,  when 
Ws  heart  suddenly  almost  seemed  to  become  still. 


»■! 


-•™^ 


,  and  ajj;ain 
;r  by  Hub- 

of   it   all? 

men   who 
had   shown 
ht.     Surely 
d  upon  the 
what  it  was 
ad  been  sac- 
Icsolate,  and 
already  had 
Continentals, 
ry.     Indeed, 
ntry  or  not; 

the  thought 
d  swept  over 
5  she  ?  And 
,  had  his  own 
le  thought,  to 

in  sad  times, 
ich  has  since 
)  blame  him. 
•ugh  his  mind 
is  not  one  to 

a  time  when 
ngered  but  a 
en,  which  lay 
i  then  turned 
e  woods,  when 
►  become  still. 


/  '^ 


A.t 


-M 


b 


H 


A    TOILSOME  JOURNEY. 


209 


Returning  from  the  house,  and  only  a  few  rods 
distant  and  in  plain  sight,  were  the  two  strangers. 

Samuel's  first  impulse  was  to  run  even  then,  but 
a  sharp  call  from  one  of  the  men  made  him  think 
better  of  it,  and  with  many  forebodings  of  evil,  he 
waited  for  them  to  approach. 

"How   now?    Who  are   you?    What  are  you 

doing  here?" 

It  was  the  barefooted  man  who  spoke,  and  while 
his  voice  was  sharp  and  suspicious,  Samuel  thought 
it  was  not  unkind.  He  made  no  reply,  however, 
and  the  two  men  halted  directly  in  front  of  him. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  What's  the  cause  o'  this  smoke 
and  ashes  ? "  repeated  the  stranger. 

"  I  don't  know.  I  don't  know  any  more  about  it 
than  you  do,"  the  lad  at  last  managed  to  reply. 

"Come  now,  me  lad,  tell  us  all  about  it.  Me 
name's  Timothy  Murphy,  it  is  that,  and  ye  can  rest 
yer  sowl  that  not  one  o'  Dan'l  Morgan's  riflemen 
would  harm  a  hair  o'  yer  head,  provided,  of  coorse, 
that  ye  spake  the  truth." 

The  shorter  man,  who  carried  the  double-barrelled 
rifle,  was  the  spokesman  now,  and  as  he  listened  to 
his  words  Samuel's  heart  gave  a  great  throb.  Daniel 
Morgan's  riflemen!  Ah,  who  had  not  heard  of 
them  ?  Their  fame  was  abroad  throughout  all  the 
colonies,  and  their  bravery  and  skill  had  formed 
the  theme  of  many  a  story. 

"Are  you  one  of  Daniel  Morgan's  riflemt  n  ? " 
he  quickly  asked.    "  Do  you  belong  to  his  band  ?  " 


i»ik»iyiHj»tJiiWW»ffB 


rft' 


' 


210 


TIVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


"  Oi  do  that,"  replied  the  man.  "  And  this  poor 
spalpeen  by  me  side  would  loike  to  be  inrolled 
there  too,  but  he's  not  up  to  it  yit.  Oi'm  trainin' 
hiin,  that  Oi  am,  and  as  sure's  me  name's  Timothy 
Murphy,  Oi'm  thinkin'  that  when  he  can  put  a  moc- 
casin on  his  fut,  he'll  be  loike  to  be  able  to  hit  a 
side  of  a  barn,  and  then  Dan'l  may  take  him  in. 
But  as  it  is,  he's  nothin'  but  poor  Barefut  Benson 
now,  and  with  all  the  toime  and  larnin'  Oi'm  after 
givin'  him,  he's  not  overpromisin'." 

"  Keep  still,  Tim.  Let's  hear  what  the  lad  has 
to  say,"  interrupted  Timothy's  companion. 

Then  Samuel  told  his  story.  Assured  that  he 
was  in  the  presence  of  friends,  he  kept  nothing 
back,  from  the  time  when  the  band  of  Indians,  with 
their  British  leaders,  had  appeared  on  the  very  place 
where  they  themselves  were  then  standing,  up  to 
the  time  of  his  escape  from  the  young  sergeant  and 
his  return  to  his  ruined  home. 

The  men  both  listened  attentively,  or,  as  Samuel 
thought,  not  without  sympathy,  and  when  at  last  his 
story  was  completed,  the  taller  man  said :  "  Then 
you've  left  an  officer  over  on  the  island,  have  you  ? 
I'm  afraid  he  has  plenty  of  company,  for  we  tracked 
the  rascals  who  burnt  this  place  down  to  the  shore. 
I  think  they  must  have  gone  up  the  lake  in  canoes, 
for  we  lost  our  trail  there.  Well,  my  lad,"  he  added 
consolingly,  "  you're  not  the  only  one  tp  suffer. 
There's  not  much  comfort  in  that,  I  know,  still  it 
does  give  a  different  feeling  to  a  man  to  know. 


1 1' 


A    TOILSOME  JOURNEY. 


an 


1  this  poor 
)e  inrolled 
i'm  trainin' 
's  Timothy 
put  a  moc- 
le  to  hit  a 
ke  him  in. 
fut  Benson 
Oi'm  after 

he  lad  has 
n. 

ed  that  he 
pt  nothing 
idians,  with 
e  very  place 
ding,  up  to 
srgeant  and 

,  as  Samuel 
n  at  last  his 
id:  "Then 
,  have  you  ? 
we  tracked 
3  the  shore, 
e  in  canoes, 
i,"  he  added 
le  to  suffer, 
now,  still  it 
,n  to  know, 


after  all,  that  his  lot  is  only  the  common  one.  What 
do  you  intend  to  do  now  ?  Your  mother's  gone  and 
your  brother's  not  here.  You  can't  stay  here, 
either." 

"  I  don't  believe  I  can,"  replied  Samuel  slowly. 
"  But  I  don't  know  what  to  do." 

"  Sure,  that's  all  plain,  as  plain  as  the  fut  here  of 
me  friend,  the  cilebrated  '  Barefut  Benson.'  Yis, 
sir,  it's  as  plain  as  the  fut  on  yer  face,  Oi  mean  the 
nose  on  yer  fut  —  No,  no,  that's  not  it.  It's  as 
plain  as  the  nose  on  yer  face.    That's  it.    That's  it." 

"  The  lad'll  go  back  with  us  to  Fort  Edward,"  in- 
terrupted Benson.  "I'm  inclined  to  think  Tim's 
suggestion  is  a  good  one.  We've  been  up  around 
Schroon  Lake  to  see  if  we  could  find  any  more 
signs  of  Indians.  I  should  have  thought  General 
Schuyler  had  found  enough,  but  he  seems  to  think 
that  there's  a  lot  more  coming  from  the  West. 
Perhaps  you  know  that  Charles  de  Langlade  has 
brought  a  band  of  Western  Indians  on  to  help  the 
redskins  Burgoyne  has  already  got  around  here." 

"  No,  I  didn't  know,"  replied  Samuel.  "  I  only 
knew  the  British  had  got  a  lot  of  redskins,  but 
that's  al! " 

"  Yes,  Captain  de  Peyster  up  at  Michilimackinac 
urged  Langlade  to  get  a  lot  of  the  Sacs,  Sioux, 
Foxes,  Menominees,  Winnebagoes,  Ottawas,  and 
Chippewas  and  join  Burgoyne's  army  by  the  way 
of  Montreal,  and  he's  done  it.  But  Schuyler's 
afraid  more  may  come  across  the  trail,  so  he  sent 


MM<kWW*«C4«Biy>!<!« 


itiiHalWtWIilWWWwrtMi 


mimmmimtt«m 


212 


ril^O   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


Tim  and  me  up  here  on  a  scouting  trip.  We're  going 
back  to  Fort  Edward  now,  and  you  can  go  along 
with  us  if  you  want  to.  You'll  have  to  take  your 
chances,  of  course." 

"  And  do  you  really  belong  to  Morgan's  rifle- 
men > "  inquired  Samuel  eagerly. 

"Timothy  here  does,  but  I  don't.  Morgan 
doesn't  seem  to  want  any  but  Irishmen  for  the  most 
part,  for  I  can't  seem  to  find  any  one  in  the  band 
who  isn't  Irish." 

"  In  coorse  not,"  said  Timothy  quickly.  "  Dan'l 
Morgan  is  a  Jarsey  man  himself,  but  he's  got  good 
Oirish  blood  in  the  veins  of  him.  When  he  went 
down  into  Varginia,  he  took  the  flower  of  the  whole 
country  to  make  up  his  band,  and  what  should  that 
be  but  the  sons  of  ould  Oireland,  I'd  be  after 
knovvin' }  Still,  for  a  baref ut,  this  man  is  not  bad," 
added  Timothy,  slapping  nis  companion  on  the 
back  as  he  spoke.  "  Me  hopes  of  him  are  not  all 
dead  yit,  though,"  he  continued. 

His  companion  smiled,  as  he  said  to  Samuel : 
"  Timothy's  a  dead  shot,  I'll  say  that  for  him.  You 
couldn't  find  a  better  man  to  be  with,  and  he's  got 
a  rifle  that  speaks  twice — the  only  one  I  ever  saw." 

"Whin  ye  git  so  that  you  can  shoot  with  one, 
Oi'll  be  after  gittin'  you  another  like  me  own,"  said 
Timothy.  "  But  Oi'm  thinkin'  we're  talkin'  too 
much.  If  yc'll  take  yer  bare  fut  and  start. on,  we'll 
be  after  folio  win'  yez." 

"  Yes,  they  call  me  '  Barefoot  Benson,' "  said  the 


^•.sjosmam 


A    TOILSOME  JOURNEY. 


913 


We're  going 
in  go  along 

0  take  your 

>rgan's  rifle- 
Morgan 
for  the  most 
in  the  band 

dy.  "  Dan'l 
i's  got  good 
len  he  went 
of  the  whole 
should  that 
I'd   be  after 

1  is  not  bad," 
lion  on  the 
I  are  not  all 

to  Samuel : 
r  him.  You 
and  he's  got 

I  ever  saw." 
ot  with  one, 
»e  own,"  said 
i  talkin'  too 
itart.on,  we'll 

n,'"  said  the 


other  man  in  reply  to  the  question  in  Samuel's 
eyes.  "I  find  I  can  travel  faster  with  less  noise  in 
that  way  than  any  other,  and  there  are  times  when 
I  want  to  go  fast  and  not  make  very  much,  noise 
about  it,  either.  And,  after  all,  it's  only  a  matter  of 
custom  and  habit,  you  know.  Why  should  my  feet 
want  any  more  protection  than  my  hands,  or  my 
face  either,  for  that  matter.?  But  we  must  start 
right  away  now.  We  want  to  put  a  good  many 
miles  between  us  and  this  place  before  night.  We're 
short  of  rations,  I  must  tell  you  that,  my  lad.  We 
only  brought  a  little  with  us,  and  that's  been  gone 
a  long  time." 

"  I  don't  mind  that,"  said  Samuel.  "  I'm  so  glad  I 
have  found  friends,  I  can  do  without  the  other  for 
a  day  or  two,  if  it's  necessary." 

"  Oi'm  after  thinkin'  ye'll  be  remoinded  of  it  before 
we  get  back  to  Fort  Edward,"  said  Timothy  grimly. 

The  party  of  three  at  once  started  on  their  return 
to  the  fort,  and  for  a  time  Samuel  had  no  difficulty 
in  maintaining  his  place  by  their  sides.  Samuel 
could  see  now  why  the  leader  was  called  "  Barefoot 
Benson."  His  swift  pace  was  steadily  maintained ; 
but,  rapidly  as  he  marched,  the  sturdy  Timothy 
trudged  steadily  on  and  seemed  to  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  doing  so.  For  a  time  Samuel  did  not  mind 
the  effort,  but  as  the  sun  climbed  higher  and  the 
heat  of  the  day  increased,  he  found  more  and  more 
difficulty  in  maintaining  his  swift  pace.  The  per- 
spiration rolled   in  streams  down  his  face.     The 


iilAm  ^rt^mrfl^^^ 


214 


TIVO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


!i! 


pangs  of  hunger  Ijegan  to  assert  themselves.     His 
legs  ached,  and    his   feet  were   soon  swollen  and 


sore. 


Still  "  Barefoot  Benson "  led  on,  never  halting, 
except  for  an  occasional  stop  to  listen  for  sounds 
which  the  others  could  not  hear.  Still  Timothy 
kept  by  his  side,  his  short  legs  by  their  rapid 
motions  seeming  to  be  able  to  keep  up  with  the 
long  strides  of  his  companion.  Still  Samuel,  weary 
and  worn,  brought  up  the  rear  of  the  little  proces- 
sion, doing  his  best  to  appear  brave,  and  shutting 
his  teeth  tightly  together,  to  prevent  any  sound 
escaping  him. 

On  and  on  they  moved,  not  a  word  being  spoken 
and  both  trusting  entirely  to  the  leader.  And  "  Bare- 
foot Benson  "  led  the  way,  apparently  knowing  no 
fatigue. 

The  sun  passed  the  meridian  and  slowly  began 
to  descend.  The  intense  heat  of  the  midday  did 
not  seem  to  abate,  for  the  air  was  still,  and  the 
shelter  of  the  forest  afforded  only  a  slight  relief. 
Samuel  was  suffering  severely  by  this  time,  but  not 
a  complaint  as  yet  had  escaped  his  lips.  His  com- 
panions seldom  glanced  at  him,  but  pushed  steadily 
onward,  each  seemingly  intent  upon  leaving  the 
region  behind  them  as  quickly  as  possible. 

It  was  now  near  sunset.  A  gentle  breeze  had 
arisen  and  afforded  some  relief  from  the  heat,  but 
Samuel  was  nearly  exhausted.  Every  step  he  took 
caused  him  pain.     His  tongue  was  parched  and 


\  r^.A. 


A    TOILSOME  JOURNE  V. 


315 


selves.     His 
swollen  and 

;ver  halting, 
1  for  sounds 
till  Timothy 
their  rapid 
up  with  the 
imuel,  weary 
little  proces- 
ind  shutting 
t  any  sound 

)eing  spoken 
And  "  Bare- 
knowing  no 

slowly  began 
midday  did 
ttill,  and  the 
slight  relief, 
time,  but  not 
5.  His  com- 
shed  steadily 
leaving  the 
ble. 

!  breeze  had 
the  heat,  but 
step  he  took 
parched  and 


dry,  and  his  breath  came  hard  and  fast.     It  seemed 
to  him  that  he  could  go  no  farther. 

He  was  about  to  tell  his  companions  to  go  on  and 
leave  him,  and  that  he  would  do  his  best  to  fol- 
low, but  rest  he  must  have  now,  when  the  leader 
stopped. 

"  Tired,  Samuel  ? "  he  asked. 

"Some,"  replied  the  lad,  almost  gasping  as  he 
spoke,  and  yet  striving  even  then  to  conceal  his 
weakness. 

"  'Twas  a  goodly  pace,  and  you  have  done  well. 
Now,  we've  got  to  settle  our  plans  for  the  night," 
he  added,  turning  to  Timothy  as  he  spoke.  "  Shall 
we  keep  on,  or  wait  for  the  morning  before  we 
start  ? " 

"  Indade,  and  that's  fur  '  Barefut  Benson '  to  say. 
Timothy  Murphy's  ready  for  either." 

"  I've  seen  some  signs  of  Indians,"  said  Benson 
anxiously.  "  If  I  was  alone,  I'd  keep  on,  but  I  don't 
want  to  take  you  two  into  any  unnecessary  danger. 
I  don't  just  know  what  to  do." 

"  Don't  do  it,  then,"  said  Timothy.  "  That's  what 
me  ould  mither  used  to  say  to  me ;  says  she,  '  Tim- 
othy, me  lad,  ye're  the  light  o'  me  ould  eyes,  that  ye 
are.  Now,  Timothy,  whiniver  ye  can't  tell  what  to 
do,  don't  yez  do  it,  me  lad.'  And  Oi  think  she  was 
corrict,  rist  her  blissed  sowl." 

"  Very  well,  we'll  turn  in  here  for  the  night.  But 
we'd  better  separate.  You  and  Samuel  go  on  about 
ten  rods  and  lie  down  in  the  grass,  and  I'll  tuia  in 


■'  t'Ii   . 


.„,r 


I     : 


3l6 


riyo  vorm;  patriots. 


here.  If  the  redskins  find  us  then,  they'll  «»nly  find 
us  one  at  a  time.  It's  ahnost  dark  now,  so  we'd 
better  turn  in  at  once,  for  we  may  want  to  start 
early  in  the  morning.     Good  night  to  you  both." 

Benson  at  once  stretched  himself  upon  the  ground 
in  the  tall  grass  which  was  growing  there,  and  Timo- 
thy and  Samuel  immediately  followed  his  directions, 
and  going  a  few  rods  farther  on,  also  lay  down  in 
the  rknk  cool  grass,  which  entirely  concealed  them. 
Samuel  soon  knew  from  the  sounds  that  his  com- 
panion was  asleep,  but  it  was  long  before  he  could 
close  his  own  eyes.     Completely  worn  out  by  the 
exertions  of   the  day,  he  was  too  weary  to  sleep. 
He  thought  of  the  young  sergeant  he  had  left  alone 
on  the  island,  and  wondered  if  he  were  still  there. 
He  could  not  shut  out  the  vision  of  the  ruins  of  his 
home.     The  curling  smoke  still  rose  before  him, 
and  at  times  he  almost  fancied  that  he  could  hear 
the  voice  of  his  mother  calling  to  him  for  aid. 

At  last,  however,  the  twinkling  of  the  stars  above 
him  took  on  fantastic  shapes,  the  murmurings  of 
the  night  wind  became  more  indistinct,  and  Samuel 

slept. 

How  long  he  slept,  he  could  not  tell,  but  he  was 
awakened  by  what  he  thought  was  the  sound  of 
footsteps.  He  listened,  and  the  sound  was  repeated. 
He  reached  over  and  touched  his  sleeping  com- 
panion on  the  arm,  and  in  a  moment  Timothy,  too, 
was  awake  and  listening  intently. 

The  sound  of  the  footsteps  was  repeated,  and  then 


MKatan 


A    TOILSOME  JOURNEY. 


317 


ly'll  only  find 
iiow,  so  we'd 
tv.int  to  start 
you  ijoth." 
m  the  ground 
■e,  and  Timo- 
lis  directions, 
I  lay  down  in 
iceaied  them, 
that  his  corn- 
Fore  he  could 
n  out  by  the 
eary  to  sleep, 
had  left  alone 
;re  still  there, 
le  ruins  of  his 
e  before  him, 
he  could  hear 
for  aid. 
he  stars  above 
lurmurings  of 
:t,  and  Samuel 

jU,  but  he  was 
the  sound  of 

I  was  repeated. 

sleeping  corn- 
Timothy,  too, 

eated,  and  then 


at  a  whispered  word  Sannicl  took  his  gun  and  Ixgan 
to  creep  with  Timothy  through  the  grass  towards 
the  place  from  which  the  sound  came.  As  they 
came  nearer,  they  could  see  indistinctly  an  object 
moving  before  them. 

"  Shoot,"  whispered  Timothy ;  and  the  reports  of 
their  guns  rang  out  together,  while  almost  at  the 
same  instant  the  report  of  another  gun  was  heard. 

A  groan  and  the  fall  of  some  body  followed. 
There  was  a  struggle  for  a  moment,  then  silence 
followed,  and  in  the  dim  light  both  Timothy  and 
Samuel  crept  cautiously  forward  through  the  grass 
to  discover  the  result  of  I^heir  shots. 


i 


CHAPTER  XX. 

AN    EARLY    MORNING   START. 

Jairus  and  Jeremiah  did  not  advance  far  into 
the  country  on  the  night  when  they  left  the  lake 
and  the  little  cat-boat,  which  the  shrewd  Vermonter 
claimed  as  his  own  special  prize  —  a  claim  which 
his  young  companion  was  not  disposed  to  question 
under  the  existing  circumstances.  They  both  were 
so  tired  and  worn  by  their  recent  exertions  that 
when  Jeremiah  proposed  that  they  should  seek  the 
shelter  of  a  rude  barn,  which  stood  alone  in  a  little 
clearing  near  the  rough  roadway,  Jairus  heartily 
consented;  and  creeping  within  it  they  both  slept 
soundly  until  morning. 

They  had  taken  the  precaution  to  bring  with 
them  some  of  the  provisions  they  had  discovered 
in  the  boat,  and  after  breakfasting  they  resumed 
their  journey  in  far  better  spirits  than  they  had  had 
on  the  preceding  night.  As  neither  wore  a  uni- 
form, their  appearance  attracted  but  little  attention 
as  they  passed  the  few  homes  of  the  settlers,  scat- 
tered along  the  road.  All  day  long  they  kept 
steadily  on  their  way,  and  not  long  after  nightfall 
they  arrived  at  the  tavern  of  Alec  Bryan. 

218 


i'^ass 


AN  EARLY  StORNING  START. 


919 


nee  far  into 
eft  the  lake 
1  Vermonter 
claim  which 
I  to  question 
!y  both  were 
ertions  that 
uld  seek  the 
ne  in  a  little 
rus  heartily 
|r  both  slept 

bring  with 
I  discovered 
ley  resumed 
hey  had  had 
wore  a  uni- 
tle  attention 
iettlers,  scat- 
they  kept 
ter  nightfall 
1. 


Bryan  w.is  at  honu',  and  thr  (|uiot  greetinjj;  ho 
gave  Jeremiah  at  once  betrayed  the  secret  under- 
standing which  existed  between  the  two.  Jairus 
watched  the  man  with  more  than  a  passing  curios- 
ity ;  for  his  companion  had  related  so  many  stories 
of  his  deeds  and  daring,  that  his  curiosity  had  been 
greatly  excited.  Nor  had  Jeremiah  overstated  the 
worth  of  his  friend  in  the  words  of  praise  he  had 
given  him. 

Alexander  Bryan  was  then  a  man  about  forty- 
four  years  of  age.  Born  in  Connecticut,  early  in 
life  he  had  emigrated  to  Dutchess  County.  There 
he  married  and  remained  for  a  few  years,  and  then 
under  the  influence  of  the  prevailing  feeling,  which 
caused  many  of  the  pioneers  to  change  their  abode 
frequently,  he  had  gone  on  into  the  region  where 
our  acquaintances  found  him. 

His  house,  which  stood  on  the  road  leading 
northward  to  the  wilderness  and  the  Canadas,  be- 
came a  tavern,  and  throughout  the  war  was  the 
resort  of  the  friends  and  enemies  of  the  colonies 
alike. 

And,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  Bryan  retained  the 
confidence  of  both  parties  in  the  struggle,  and  was 
kept  informed  of  the  actions  and  plans  of  each  side. 
His  patriotism  was  well  known  by  the  American 
leaders,  however,  and  their  confidence  in  him  was 
not  misplaced,  as  we  shall  soon  see. 

He  was  a  man  of  striking  appearance,  calm  and 
collected,  and  with  a  shrewd  and  not  unkindly  face 


220 


rtyo  YouNc  I'ArmoTs. 


wliirh   iMtoki'iu'd  tlu-  |)()ssi!>sion  of  far  more  tli.iii 
oniinaiy  intrllii;ciuc. 

"  VVell,  Jeremiah,"  said  Hryan  as  the  two  travel- 
lers seated  themselves  in  the  "publie  room,"  "I 
didn't  just  look  for  to  see  you  here  now.  I  thought 
you  were  at  I'orl  Edward,  along  with  Schuyler  and 
his  men." 

"Ye  keep  pretty  well  posted,  Alec,"  replied 
Jeremiah,  "but  there  are  some  things  ye  don't 
know.  Tell  me  how  the  land  lies  about  here. 
What's  the  upshot  of  the  retreat  from  old  Ty? 
Any  Whigs  left }  " 

"  Plenty  of  'em,  plenty,"  replied  Bryan.  "  Things 
haven't  turned  out  just  as  we  hoped,  but  we're  not 
dead  yet.  Burgoyne's  got  the  upper  hold,  but  to 
my  mind  it's  a  question  whether  he  can  hang  on  to 
it,  or  not." 

"  Have  many  gone  over  to  the  redcoats?"  asked 
Jeremiah. 

"  Yes,  some.  Some  on  'em  was  scared  and  some 
was  glad  to  go.  It's  pretty  much  like  some  men 
who  talk  when  they've  got  pinched  or  pushed  pretty 
hard  that  they've  lost  their  faith  in  the  Almighty. 
They  haven't  lost  any  faith,  for  in  my  opinion 
they  never  had  any  to  lose.  What  they  see  is  that 
they  never  had  any.  That's  the  case,  I  take  it,  with 
these  fellows  that  have  gone  over  now,  some  on  'em 
scared  by  Johnnie's  proclamation,  and  some  by  the 
givin'  up  of  old  Ty.  That  was  perfectly  natural,  it 
seems  to  me,  and  couldn't  a  been  any  different.    But 


AN  EAHLV  MORN  INC   STAKT. 


Ml 


r  morr  than 

i  two  travel- 

c   room,"  "  I 

I  thought 

Jchuylcr  and 

lee,"  reph'ed 
gs  ye  don't 
about  here, 
m  old   Ty? 

1.    "Things 

Lit  we're  not 

lold,  but  to 

hang  on  to 

Its?"  asked 

d  and  some 

some  men 
shed  pretty 

Almighty, 
ny  opinion 

see  is  that 
ake  it,  with 
)me  on  'em 
)me  by  the 

natural,  it 
irent.    But 


what  these  fellows  who  have  gone  over  showed,  was 
that  they  were  always  on  that  side.  It  wv^nWi  going 
over  at  all.  They  was  on  that  side  all  the  time,  and 
now  they've  had  a  chance  to  show  it;  that's  all." 

For  a  half-hour  the  old  friends  conversed  on  the 
exciting  topics  of  the  times,  and  were  interested 
listeners  to  the  experiences  each  had  to  relate. 
Jail  us,  though  he  took  no  part  in  the  conversation, 
was  no  less  interested  in  what  was  said  than  were 
they,  we  may  be  well  assured. 

"  But  did  Johnnie's  proclamation  scare  a  good 
many  ? "  inquired  Jeremiah  at  last. 

"  Yes,  some,  as  I  told  ye.  But  .i  good  many  has 
stood  firm,  and  like  me  don't  think  the  last  end's 
come  yet,  by  a  good  deal.  I've  got  something  here," 
he  added;  and  rising,  and  going  to  a  high  chest  of 
drawer^  that  was  standing  in  the  room,  he  unlocked 
one  of  the  drawers  and  taking  from  it  a  paper 
brought  it  back  with  him,  and  throwing  it  upon  the 
table,  said:  "There!  That's  somethin' that  came 
to  me  yesterday,  never  mind  how.  It  shows  that 
there's  somebody  left  yet  who  feels  a  little  bit  as  I 
do,  ye  see,  about  this  whole  business." 

Jeremiah  spread  the  paper  out  on  the  table  before 
him,  and  holding  the  candle  in  his  hand  so  that  its 
light  would  fall  directly  upon  the  words,  read  slowly 
aloud  the  following  counterblast  to  Burgoyne's  proc- 
lamation :  — 

"  To  John  Burgoyne,  Esquire,  Lieu ienanf -General 
of  His  Majesty  s  armies  in  America,  Colonel  of  the 


222 


TfVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


Queens  regiment  of  light  dragoons.  Governor  of 
Fort  William  in  North  America,  one  of  the  Repre- 
sentatives of  the  Commons  of  Great  Britain,  and 
commanding  an  army  and  fleet  on  an  expedition 
from  Canada"  etc. 
"  Most  High,  Most  Mighty,  Most  Puissant  and 

Sublime  General:  — 

"  When  the  forces  under  your  command  arrived 
at  Quebec,  in  order  to  act  in  concert  and  upon  a 
common  principle    with   the  numerous  fleets  and 
armies,  which  all  display  in  every  quarter  of  Amer- 
ica the  justice  and  mercy  of  your  King,  we,  the  rep- 
tiles of  America,  were  struck  with  unusual  trepida- 
tion and  astonishment.    But  what  words  can  express 
the  plenitude  of  our  horror  when  the  Colonel  of  the 
Queen's  regiment  of  light  dragoons  advanced  tow- 
ards Ticonderoga!     The  mountains   shook  before 
thee  and  the  trees  of  the  forests  bowed  their  lofty 
heads.     The  vast  lakes  of  the  north  were  chilled  at 
thy  presence,  and  the  mighty  cataracts  stopped  their 
tremendous  career,  and  were  suspended  in  awe  at 
thy  approach.     Judge,  then,  0  ineffable  Governor 
of  Fort   William  in  North  Britain!  what  must 
have  been  the  terror,  dismay,  and  despair  that  over- 
spread this  paltry  continent  of  America,  and  us,  its 
wretched  inhabitants.    Dark  and  dreary,  indeed,  was 
the  prospect  before  us,  till,  like  the  sun  in  the  horizon, 
your  most  gracious,  sublime,  and  irresistible  proc- 
lamation opened  the  doors  of  mercy  and  snatched 
us,  as  it  were,  from  the  jaws  of  ai  nihilatiuii. 


vernor  of 
*he  Repre- 
'iain,  and 
expedition 

SSANT  AND 

tid  arrived 
id  upon  a 
fleets  and 
■  of  Anter- 
e,  the  rep- 
lal  trepida- 
:an  express 
hnel  of  the 
anced  tow- 
ook  before 

their  lofty 
;  chilled  at 
apped  their 

in  awe  at 
e  Governor 
what  must 
r  that  over- 
,  and  us,  its 
indeed,  was 
the  horizon, 
istible  proc- 
id  snatched 
tiun. 


AN  EARLY  MORNING  START. 


223 


"  We  foolishly  thought,  blind  as  we  were,  that 
your  gracious  master's  fleet  and  armies  were  come  to 
destroy  us  and  our  liberties,  but  we  are  happy  in 
hearing  from  you  (and  who  can  doubt  what  you 
assert  ?)  that  they  were  called  forth  for  the  sole  pur- 
pose of  restoring  the  rights  of  the  constitution  to  a 
froward  and  stubborn  generation. 

"And  is  it  for  this,  O  sublime  Lieuten?»  General, 
that  you  have  given  yourself  the  trouble  cross  the 
wide  Atlantic,  and  with  incredible  fatigue  traverse  un- 
cultivated wilds  ?  And  we  ungratefully  refuse  the 
proffered  blessing?  To  restore  the  rights  of  the 
constitution,  you  have  called  together  an  amiable 
host  of  savages,  and  turned  them  loose  to  scalp  our 
women  and  children,  and  lay  our  country  waste,  — 
this  they  have  performed  with  their  usual  skill  and 
clemency;  and  we  yet  remain  insensible  of  the 
benefit,  and  unthankful  of  so  much  goodness! 

"  Our  congresses  have  declared  independence,  and 
our  assemblies,  as  your  highness  justly  observes, 
have  most  wickedly  imprisoned  the  avowed  friends 
of  that  power  with  which  they  are  at  war,  and  most 
PROFANELY  Compelled  those  whose  consciences  would 
not  permit  them  to  fight,  to  pay  some  small  part 
towards  the  expenses  their  country  is  at  in  sup 
porting  what  we  call  a  necessary  defensive  war.  If 
we  go  on  thus  in  our  obstinacy  and  ingratitude,  what 
can  we  expect  but  that  you  should,  in  your  anger, 
give  a  stretch  to  the  Indian  forces  under  your  direc- 
tion, amounting  to  thousandsy  to  overtake  and  destroy 


224 


TH^O   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


US ;  or,  which  is  ten  times  worse,  that  you  should 
withdraw  your  fleet  and  armies,  and  leave  us  to  our 
own  misery,  without  completing  the  benevolent  task 
you  have  begun,  in  restoring  to  us  the  righis  of  the 
constitution. 

"  We  submit,  we  submit,  most  puissant  Colonel  of 
the  Queens  regiment  of  light  dragoons  and  Governor 
of  Fort  William  in  North  Britain.  We  offer  our 
heads  to  the  seal  ping-knife  and  our  bellies  to  the 
bayonet.  Who  can  resist  the  force  of  your  elo- 
quence? Who  can  withstand  the  terror  of  your 
arms  ?  The  invitation  you  have  made  in  the  con- 
sciousness of  Christianity ^  your  royal  masters  clem- 
ency., and  the  honor  of  soldiership.,  we  thankfully 
accept.  The  blood  of  the  slain,  the  cries  of  injured 
virgins  and  innocent  children,  and  the  never-ceasing 
sighs  and  groans  of  starving  wretches  in  the  jails 
and  prison-ships  of  New  York  r.ai!  on  us  in  vain, 
whilst  your  sublime  proclamation  ,'  •  ',  ided  in  our 
ears.     Forgive  us,  O  our  counti  Forgive   us, 

dear  posterity!  Forgive  us,  all  ye  foreign  powers 
who  are  anxiously  watching  our  conduct  in  this  im- 
portant struggle,  if  we  yield  implicitly  to  the  persua- 
sive tongue  of  the  most  elegant  Colonel  of  Her 
Majesty's  regiment  of  light  dragoons. 

"  Forbear  then,  thou  magnanimous  Lieutenant- 
General !  Forbear  to  denounce  vengeance  against 
us !  I'orbear  to  give  a  stretch  to  those  restorers  of  con- 
stitutional rights,  ihe  Indian  forces  under  your  direc- 
tion.    Let  not  the  messengers  of  tvrath  await  us  in 


AN  EARLY  MORNING  START. 


225 


:  you  should 
ive  us  to  our 
levolent  task 
righis  of  the 

ti  Colonel  0/ 
ind  Governor 
Ve  offer  our 
lellies  to  the 
of  your  elo- 
rror  of  your 
;  in  the  con- 
tasters  clem- 
e  thankfully 
es  of  injured 
lever-ceasing 

in  the  jails 
1  us  in  vain, 
•  ided  in  our 

i'orgive  us, 
eign  powers 
:t  in  this  im- 
o  the  persua- 
onel  of  Her 

Lieutenant- 
ance  against 
torcrs  of  con- 
^r  your  direc- 

aivait  us  in 


the  field,  and  devastation,  famine,  and  every  concom- 
itant horror  bar  our  return  to  the  allegiance  of  a 
prince,  who,  by  his  royal  will,  would  deprive  us  of 
every  blessing  of  life,  with  all  possible  clemency. 

"  We  are  domestic,  we  are  industrious,  we  are  in- 
firm and  timid ;  we  shall  remain  quietly  at  home,  and 
not  remove  our  cattle,  or  com,  or  forage,  in  hopes 
that  you  will  come  at  tlie  head  of  troops  in  the  full 
power  of  health,  discipline,  and  valor,  and  take  charge 
of  them  for  yourselves.  Behold  our  wives  and 
daughters,  our  flocks  and  herds,  our  goods  and  chat- 
tels. Are  they  not  at  the  mercy  of  our  Lord  the  King, 
and  of  his  Lieutenant-General,  member  of  the  House 
of  Commons,  and  Governor  of  Fort  William  in 
North  Britain^ 

"  Gum ! "  ejaculated  Jeremiah  when  he  had  fin- 
ished reading.  "  The  fellow  that  wrote  that  knew 
a  thing  or  two.  He  knew  how  to  answer  Johnnie 
Burgoyne  in  the  way  to  appeal  straight  to  the 
people  of  the  frontier!  Do  you  think  that  Bur- 
goyne himself  knew  enough  to  write  his  own  proc- 
lamation ? " 

"  Doubtless,  doubtless,"  replied  Bryan.  "  Why, 
he's  written  three  dramas,  you  know,  and  the  man 
who  can  write  three  dramas  and  be  the  '  Colonel  of 
the  Queen's  regiment  of  light  dragoons '  at  the  same 
time  ought  to  be  able  to  write  such  a  proclamation 
as  he  sent  nut.     Leastwise,  so  it  seems  to  me." 

"  Burgoyne  wrote  three  dramas ! "  said  Jeremiah 
in  surprise.     "  Neow,  who  ever  heard   the  like  o' 

Q 


idMMiitii 


226 


Tpyo   YOUNG  PATKlOrS. 


that  ?  Why,  he's  worse  than  I  thought.  I  could 
forgive  him  for  using  redskins,  but  to  write  dramas! 
Why,  he  must  be  the  worst  cavalier  that  ever  lived. 
My  mother  raised  me  to  hate  the  drama.  I  never 
read  one  in  my  life.  I'd  as  soon  think  of  celebrat- 
ing Christmas,  or  keeping  up  any  other  relic  of 
popery,  as  to  read  a  play.  What  dramas  did  he 
write?"  continued  Jeremiah,  unable  to  suppress 
entirely  his  curiosity,  in  spite  of  the  additional  hor- 
ror the  information  that  Burgoyne  was  the  writer  of 
dramas  had  brought. 

"  Oh,  he  wrote  '  Bon  Ton," The  Heiress,'  and  'The 
Maid  of  the  Oaks,'"  replied  Bryan.  "  But,  Jeremiah, 
I  guess  ye  needn't  borrow  trouble  over  the  bad 
effects  of  any  dramas  Johnnie  Burgoyne  ever  wrote. 
They'll  never  do  much  harm.  I've  heard  as  how 
they  was  put  on  the  stage  in  Boston  when  Gage 
was  there  and  they  used  to  have  such  fearful  times; 
but  I  guess,  from  what  I've  heard,  that  about  all  the 
people  what  went  to  see  'em  did  was  laugh.  No,  I 
guess  ye  needn't  borrow  any  trouble  over  what 
Johnnie'll  do  with  his  pen.  It's  what  he  may  do 
with  his  sword  that  troubles  me  just  at  present. 
That's  a  horse  of  another  color  entirely." 

"I  thought  you  said  you  weren't  afraid,"  inter- 
rupted J  air  us. 

"  No  more  am  I,  my  young  friend,"  replied  Bryan. 
"  But  I've  heard  as  how  another  army  is  on  the  way 
up  the  Mohawk  valley  to  join  Burgoyne's  forces. 
It's  St.  Leger's,  I  believe,  and  he's  to  call  a  lot  of 


AN  EAKLY  MORNING  START. 


22/ 


;ht.  I  could 
k^rite  dramas ! 
it  ever  lived, 
na.  I  never 
:  of  celebrat- 
ther  relic  of 
imas  did   he 

to  suppress 
Iditional  hor- 

the  writer  of 

;ss,'  and '  The 
•ut,  Jeremiah, 
)ver  the  bad 
le  ever  wrote, 
leard  as  how 
I  when  Gage 
fearful  times; 
about  all  the 
augh.  No,  I 
le  over  what 
,t  he  may  do 
it  at  present. 

afraid,"  inter- 

eplied  Bryan* 

is  on  the  way 

oyne's  forces. 

call  a  lot  of 


Indians  to  add  them  to  the  forces  he  brought  from 
Montreal  to  Oswego.  Then  he's  going  to  take  them 
all  and  start  through  the  valley  for  Albany ;  and  the 
plan,  as  I  understand  it,  is  for  him  to  drive  every- 
thing before  him  there,  while  Johnnie  sweeps  down 
this  way,  and  they'll  join  forces  at  Albany.  Then 
Clinton's  to  come  up  the  Hudson  and  meet  'em  and 
they'll  split  the  colonies  right  in  two,  ye  see,  jest  as 
I'm  doin'  with  this  apple ;  and  then  all  they'll  have 
to  do  will  be  to  eat  up  each  half  as  they  want  to." 

And  to  illustrate  his  point,  the  scout  split  the 
apple  he  was  holding  in  his  hand  in  two  portions 
and  began  to  eat  them. 

Both  Jairus  and  Jeremiah  were  sadly  depressed 
by  his  words,  and  for  a  few  moments  there  was 
silence.  The  light  of  the  candle  flickered,  and 
Bryan  snuffed  it  with  his  fingers.  Darkness  had 
swept  down  over  the  land,  and  as  Jairus  glanced 
out  of  the  little  windows,  the  sight  was  one  which 
seemed  to  reflect  the  feelings  of  all  within  the  house. 
The  report  of  an  additional  army  moving  through 
the  Mohawk  valley  was  entirely  new  to  him,  and, 
added  to  the  success  which  had  attended  Burgoyne's 
efforts  thus  far,  seemed  to  dash  the  few  slight 
hopes  which  yet  remained  in  his  heart. 

"  I'm  tellin'  ye,"  said  Bryan,  who  was  the  first  to 
break  the  silence,  "that  it  isa't  all  over  yet.  I 
hapi.«in  to  know  some  things  as  well  as  others,  and 
though  I  don't  ask  for  it,  you  know  as  well  as  I  do 
that  both  sides  are  tellin'  me  some  things  of  impor- 


ntaw 


228 


rit^O   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


tance;  and  I'm  a  telHn'  you  that  the  end  hasn't 
come  yet.  A  good  beginning  often  makes  a  bad 
ending,  and  these  generals  of  ours  do  their  best 
when  they  are  just  put  to  it.  Why,  look  at  Trenton 
last  winter,  will  ye  ?  Who'd  thought  Washington 
ever  could  have  got  out  of  that  hole,  and  yet  he 
did  get  out.  Now  I'm  tellin'  ye  that  Phil  Schuyler'll 
get  out  too ;  that  is,  if  they'll  get  him  a  little  help, 
and  not  nag  the  life  out  of  him.  Nagging  is  what 
kills  folks,  and  generals,  too.  Yes,  sir,  nagging  is 
worse  than  the  plague,  a  hundred  times  worse." 

"  We're  going  to  join  his  army  at  Fort  Edward 
just  as  soon  as  we  can  get  there,"  said  Jeremiah. 

"  That'll   settle  it  then,"  said  Bryan  dryly.     "  If 
Johnnie   hears   you've  come,   he'll   turn   tail   in   a 

hurry." 

"  We'll  do  our  part,"  replied  Jeremiah,  unmoved 

by  the  friendly  sarcasm  of  Alec. 

"  No  doubt.  No  doubt,"  said  Bryan  quickly,  for 
he  had  no  desire  to  hurt  the  feelings  of  his  friend. 
"  But,  Jerry,  you  know  what  I'm  a  doin'  here,  and 
just  the  position  I  occupy.  Now  I've  just  got  word 
that  some  of  the  Tories  hereabouts  have  collected 
a  lot  of  supplies  up  the  creek,  and  that  they're  going 
to  take  'em  to  Burgoyne  to-morrow  mornin'.  Least- 
wise, they're  going  to  try  to  take  'em ;  but  I  have 
my  doubts  about  their  doin'  it." 

"  Why  ?     How'U  you  stop  'em  ?    What  can  you 
do  ? "  inquired  Jeremiah. 

"  Oh,  some  of  my  friends  and  neighbors  are  goin' 


AN  EARLY  MORNING  START. 


239 


nd  hasn't 
:es  a  bad 
:heir  best 
t  Trenton 
ashington 
id  yet  he 
ichuyler'll 
little  help, 
ig  is  what 
lagging  is 
orse. 

•t  Edward 
emiah. 
ryly.     "  If 
tail   in   a 

,  unmoved 

[uickly,  for 
his  friend. 
'  here,  and 
t  got  word 
e  collected 
sy're  going 
n'.  Least- 
but  I  have 

at  can  you 

rs  are  goin' 


to  drop  in  hero  towards  mornin',  and  I  shouldn't  be 
in  the  least  bit  surprised  if  they  happened  to  sur- 
prise these  fellows  on  their  trip,  or  maybe  before 
they  get  well  started." 

"Are  ye  going  to  go  yourself?"  asked  Jeremiah. 
"  When  are  ye  going  to  start  ? " 

"  No,  I'm  not  goin'.  I  can't,  ye  see,  because  of 
the  peculiar  place  I  hold,  being  in  the  confidence 
of  both  sides.  But  my  friends  are  going,  and  I 
want  both  of  you  to  go  along  with  them,  too." 

"  But  we're  on  our  way  to  Fort  Edward,"  protested 
Jeremiah.  "  We  want  to  get  there  just  as  soon  as 
we  can,  and  we  ought  not  to  stop  for  anything.  I'd 
like  to  go  in,  but  I  don't  see  how  we  can,  we're  in 
such  a  hurry." 

"  'Twon't  take  long.  They're  goin'  to  meet  here 
about  two  o'clock,  and  it'll  be  all  over  by  morning. 
You'll  go  in,  I  know." 

After  some  further  conversation,  both  Jeremiah 
and  Jairus  agreed  to  join  the  party.  They  at  once 
retired  to  a  room  to  get  such  sleep  as  they  could, 
while  Bryan  promised  to  call  them  in  time  to  join 
the  company. 

It  was  about  half-past  two  when  the  sleepers  were 
summoned,  and,  hastily  dressing,  they  went  down  the 
stairs  and  found  about  ten  men  in  the  public  room. 

Few  words  were  spoken,  and  in  a  brief  time  the 
band  left  the  tavern  and  started  through  the  dark- 
ness for  the  place  in  which  it  was  known  the  stores 
had  been  concealed. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


t. 
! 


A    RAID. 

J  MRUS  had  not  fully  shared  in  the  confidence  Jere- 
miah appeared  to  feel  in  Alec  Bryan.  The  scout 
was  a  stranger  to  him,  and  he  did  not  even  know 
him  by  reputation  —  a  fact  not  in  the  least  strange 
when  it  is  remembered  that  Jairus  was  but  little 
more  than  a  lad,  and  had  dwelt  far  from  the  abodes 
of  his  fellows.  He  believed  in  Jeremiah,  however, 
and  was  trying  to  persuade  himself  that  his  com- 
panion must  know  better  than  he  as  to  the  true 
state  of  affairs  in  the  region. 

But  Bryan  was  not  to  go  with  the  little  band,  and 
his  absence  was  what  troubled  Jairus.  It  was  possi- 
ble that  they  might  be  led  into  trouble,  and  the  lad's 
heart  was  heavy  when  at  last  the  door  of  the  tavern 
was  opened  and  the  men  stole  forth  into  the  dark- 
ness. The  whispered  consultation  within  the  pub- 
lic room  had  not  been  heard  by  him,  and  he  was  all 
uncertain  as  to  their  destination  or  even  as  to  the 
direction  in  which  they  were  to  go. 

His  thoughts  were  quickly  recalled,  and,  keeping 
close  to  Jeremiah's  side,  he  followed  the  men  as 
they  made  their  way  through   the  forests.    The 

230 


iiMiirn"-"'       i '"••' —   ' 


A  KAfD. 


231 


ence  Jere- 
The  scout 
iven  know 
St  strange 
but  little 
the  abodes 
1,  however, 
t  his  com- 
0  the  true 

;  band,  and 

:  was  possi- 

id  the  lad's 

the  tavern 

0  the  dark- 
n  the  pub- 
i  he  was  all 

1  as  to  the 

id,  keeping 
he  men  as 
rests.    The 


great  trees  and  the  heavy  shadows  served  to  increase 
his  alarm;  but  he  said  nothing  concerning  his  feelings, 
and  steadily  kept  close  to  his  companions. 

Not  a  word  was  spoken  now,  but  the  leaders  ap- 
peared to  be  familiar  with  the  region,  and  to  know 
their  way.  For  two  hours  the  march  was  unbroken, 
and  then  a  halt  was  called.  The  light  of  the  sum- 
mer morning  was  beginning  to  appear.  The  songs 
of  the  birds  filled  the  air,  and  there  was  that  im- 
pression of  damp  freshness  all  about  which  is  to  be 
found  in  the  forests  at  sunrise. 

"  It's  right  over  here,  not  more  than  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  away  now,"  said  the  leader.  "  You  see,"  he 
added,  speaking  to  Jeremiah,  "  the  spot's  a  kind  of 
a  ravine  on  a  little  point  by  the  bank  of  the  creek. 
There's  a  hill  just  behind  the  place,  and  if  there  are 
not  many  of  the  Tories,  we  can  form  on  the  hill 
and  rush  down  and  either  drive  them  into  the  water 
and  make  them  surrender,  or  we  can  call  out  to 
them  without  being  seen  ourselves.  Much  will 
depend  on  the  lay  of  the  land  and  just  how  many 

are  there." 

"You're  sure  they're  there,  aren't  you?"  asked 

Jeremiah. 

"  No.  All  I  know  is  what  Alec  said.  He  dis- 
covered the  place  and  learned  of  the  plan.  In 
course,  I  don't  know  how  he  learned,  and  I  don't 
know  as  I  care.  I'm  sure  Alec  Bryan's  right, 
though.  He  doesn't  very  often  get  fooled  on  such 
little  things.     It's  all  right,  I  know." 


M^d**' 


232 


TtVO    YOUNC   PATRIOTS. 


"  If  we're  as  close  as  ye  say  we  are,"  said  Jere- 
miah, "  I  think  some  one  had  better  go  ahead 
and  see  how  it  looks.  That'll  save  us  from  any 
possible  slip,  ye  sec.     He'd  better  go  alone,  though." 

"That's  a  good  suggestion,"  said  the  leader. 
"  I'll  go  ahead  myself.  You  all  wait  here  and  I'll  be 
back  before  ye  fairly  know  it,  and  I'll  have  some- 
thing to  report,  too,  never  you  fear." 

The  band  all  yielded  to  the  suggestion,  and  the 
leader  speedily  disappeared  from  sight.  The  men 
waited  in  the  place  where  they  were  then  standing, 
a  place  shielded  from  sight  by  the  high  bushes  and 
the  great  trees  of  the  forest.  They  seldom  spoke, 
and  then  only  in  whispers,  for  no  one  knew  what 
lurking  enemy  might  be  near.  It  was  known  that 
many  Indians  were  in  the  vicinity,  for  Bryan  him- 
self had  said  so,  and  more  than  once  they  had  dis- 
covered  signs  of  them  on  their  early  morning  march. 

"  I  wish  we  were  out  of  this,  Jeremiah,"  whispered 
Jairus.  "  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  things  a  little  bit. 
I  don't  see  what  you  wanted  to  stop  for,  anyway. 
We   ought    to    have  kept    straight    on    for    Fort 

Edward." 

"My  lad,  I'm  out  of  the  army  just  because  I 
wanted  to  help  ye.  Now  I  know  what  I'm  doing, 
and  ye  must  wait  a  bit  for  me  now.  It's  only  fair 
play,  ye  know.  I  want  to  go  to  Fort  Edward  as 
much  as  ye  do,  and  ye  won't  be  delayed  long. 
Ye  must  have  a  little  more  patience.  Are  ye 
afraid?" 


A  KAtD. 


233 


aid  J  e  re- 
go  ahead 
i  from  any 
r»e,  though." 
the  leader. 
;  and  I'll  be 
have  some- 
ion,  and  the 

The  men 

en  standing, 

bushes  and 

Idom  spoke, 

knew  what 

known  that 

Bryan  him- 

hey  had  dis- 

rning  march. 

,"  whispered 

;s  a  little  bit. 

for,  anyway. 

>n    for    Fort 

it  because  I 
t  I'm  doing, 
It's  only  fair 
t  Edward  as 
elayed  long. 
:e.      Are  ye 


"  I'm  afraid  of  Hryan.  Who  knows  whcthci  he's 
all  right  or  not?  " 

"  I  do." 

"Well,  I'll  do  my  best,"  said  Jalrus;  "but  I'll 
own  up  that  I  should  feel  better  if  we  were  some- 
where else." 

Jairus  was  somewhat  abashed  by  Jeremiah's  quiet 
rebuke,  and  as  he  knew  the  soldier  had  gone  with 
him  because  of  his  regard  for  his  dead  father,  he 
tried  not  to  be  unmindful  of  the  obligations  he  was 
under,  and  uttered  no  further  protest. 

Silence  fell  over  the  waiting  band.  The  sun  had 
now  appeared,  and  the  forest  seemed  to  be  clad  in 
golden  colors.  The  life  of  its  inhabitants  also 
appeared  to  have  returned  now,  and  birds  and  squir- 
rels were  seen  on  every  side.  If  it  had  not  been  for 
the  presence  of  his  companions  and  the  fear  in  his 
own  heart,  Jairus  must  have  felt  that  peace  reigned 
over  all;  for  not  a  sign  of  an  enemy,  or  of  war,  could 
be  seen. 

"  There  he  comes,"  whispered  Jeremiah,  as  he 
caught  a  glimpse  of  a  man  approaching  through  the 
forest. 

In  a  few  moments  the  leader  was  recognized,  and 
as  he  rejoined  the  band  the  men  crowded  eagerly 
about  him  to  learn  what  he  had  discovered. 

"  They're  there  and  loading  up,"  said  the  leader. 
"  They've  got  five  big  wagons  and  there's  a  lot  of 
the  stuff,  too.  It's  just  as  Alec  Bryan  said  it  was. 
He's  a  man,  he  is,  and  you  can't  get  the  best  of  him 


Tiyo  Youm:  patkiots. 

if  vou  (1<.  U^'t  vip  c-arly  in  the-  m.»rnin«.  Hut  tlK-y'rc 
a  harcMoking  crowd,  that's  what  they  arc.  .f  some 
nf  'em  arc  niv  neighbors.  t  ^\. 

..  Howmany  of  them  are  there  ? "  asked  one  of  the 

'"'"Thafs  the  hard  part  of   it.     1  counted  thirty; 
that  maltes  odds  of  three  to  one,  ye  sec.     I  don  t 
Im,<  w  as  we  had  better  try  to  drive  'em  out  and  ye 
I  hate  to  give  it  up;  and  1  know  Alec  won't  hke  .t 

"  "wtt  are  they  doing?    Arc  they  »"  "--""^^fj 

How  are  they  arranged?"  inquired  Jc^m.ah  qu.efly. 

°  Five  of  -em  are  on  guard,  and  the  rest  are  load- 

ing  up  the  wagons.    They'll  have  it  all  done  pretty 

''""five  on  guard,  you  say?    Of  course  they 
have  muskets?"  said  Jeremiah. 

"No  doubt,  and  only  three  of  us  h»ve  "fles^ 
Rifles  don't  grow  on  the  bushes  here,  and  we  have 
to  put  up  with  fowling-pieces.  What  do  you  say 
men  ?   Shall  we  go  back,  or  try  to  give  'cm  a  seare 

••  Oh,  don't  go  back  I  leastwise  yet  a  whde    sa.d 
Jeremi;h  quickly.    "You  say  there's  a  h.U  r,gh 
behind  the  point  where  they  are?     How  far  .s  .t 

'TZT^l^:i:^^l^-  Notn.ore 
*''r,^';?^Z%  don't  we  get  together  on  the 
top  of  the  hill  and  when  you  say  the  word  well 
r^ake  a  break  for  the  fellows?    We  can  yell  enough 


A   RAID, 


235 


Hut  tluy'ic 
irc,  if  some 

1  one  of  the 

ntcd  thirty; 
;e.  I  don't 
out,  and  yet 
won't  like  it 

all  armed? 

miah  quietly. 

rest  are  load- 
done  pretty 

course  they 

\  have  rifles, 
and  we  have 
do  you  say, 
'em  a  scare?" 
a  while,"  said 
^  a  hill  right 
How  far  is  it 

ly.     Not  more 

jgether  on  the 
he  word  we'll 
an  yell  enough 


for  a  hundred  nu-ii,  and  if  they've  only  j{<>t  five  nu-n 
on  ^uard,  and  the  rest  are  working;  without  guns,  I 
think  our  yells  will  count  for  enough  to  drive  'cm 
out.  You  say  the  road  goes  alongside  the  bed  of 
the  creek  ? " 

"Yes;  it's  a  kind  of  a  road.  It's  where  they'd 
have  to  go  to  carry  off  the  stuff.  I  say,  men,  how 
do  you  feel  about  it  ?  Shall  we  give  it  up,  or  make 
a  trial  of  what  Jeremiah  suggests?" 

One  after  another  gave  his  opinion,  and  at  last  it 
was  decided  to  follow  Jeremiah's  plan. 

"  We'll  have  to  g't  about  it,  then,  right  away,"  said 
the  leader,  "or  they  II  be  off  and  leave  us  in  the  lurch." 

The  men  quickly  formed  and  advanced  stealthily 
towards  the  summit  of  the  little  hill.  They  crept 
from  tree  to  iree,  am'  frecjuently  paused  to  observe 
if  their  presence  ha  i  been  discovered.  They  were 
all  determined  lovv,  and  although  the  venture 
seemed  tc  b^:  a  desperate  .no,  they  were  resolved 
to  make  a  i  attempt  to  drive  out  the  Tories.  Even 
Jairus  had  forgotten  his  misgivingi-,  md  as  he,  too, 
stealthily  crept  forward,  his  excitement  became  each 
moment  more  and  more  intense.  The  very  uncer- 
tainty itse!'  increased  the  feeling,  for  he  knew  noth- 
ing of  the  locality. 

He  glanced  at  his  companions  and  saw  that  they 
were  evidently  as  excited  as  he.  Only  Jeremiah 
and  the  leader  appeared  to  be  calm,  but  as  they  led 
the  way,  stepping  cautiously  over  the  dead  and 
Cailen  branches  and  glancing  keenly  about  them,  no 


^jgl^t^JHikx'MVtm^  dwiiWr 


236 


T^yO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


one  would  have  thought  from  their  appearance 
that  they  were  on  such  a  desperate  errand  as  the 
one  in  which  they  were  engaged. 

At  last  the  summit  of  the  hill  was  gained,  and, 
peering  from  behind  the  trees,  the  men  could  look 
down  upon  the  point.  The  five  men  were  on 
guard  as  the  leader  had  reported,  and  the  others 
were  busily  engaged  in  loading  the  wagons.  No 
one  was  speaking,  and  they  were  evidently  in  great 
haste,  although  it  also  was  apparent  that  they  were 
not  suspicious  of  an  attack. 

Jairus's  heart  was  beating  rapidly,  and  his  breath 
came  hard  and  fast.  It  did  seem  like  a  desperate 
venture,  but  the  lad  had  no  thought  of  drawing  back 
now,  and  his  suspicions  of  Alec  Bryan  were  gone. 

The  leader  raised  his  hand  as  a  signal  for  all  to 
listen  to  him,  and  passed  from  man  to  man  whis- 
pering the  words:  "When  I  say  '  Come  on,  boys! 
start  every  one  of  you,  and  yell  as  if  you  had  the 
lungs  of  a  dozen  men.    We've  got  to  yell,  whatever 

else  we  do." 

The  men  nodded  their  heads  to  show  that  they 
understood,  and  the  leader  stopped  for  a  moment  to 
look  again  at  the  Tories  below. 

They  were  plainly  still  unsuspicious  of  the  threat- 
ened attack.  The  guards  were  leaning  on  their 
muskets,  lazily  watching  their  companions  as  they 
lifted  the  barrels  into  the  wagons,  or  carried  the 
heavy  bundles  from  the  ravine.  The  moment  for 
action  had  arrived,  and  the  leader  turned  and  looked 


A  RAID. 


ni 


appearance 
rrand  ds  the 

gained,  and, 
:n  could  look 
len  were  on 
d  the  others 
wagons.  No 
jntly  in  great 
dat  they  were 

nd  his  breath 
ce  a  desperate 
drawing  back 
1  were  gone, 
ynal  for  all  to 
to  man  whis- 
tme  on,  boys!' 
[  you  had  the 
yell,  whatever 

how  that  they 
»r  a  moment  to 

s  of  the  threat- 
ning  on  their 
anions  as  they 
or  carried  the 
le  moment  for 
ned  and  looked 


for  a  moment  at  his  own  men  and  saw  that  all  were 
waiting  for  the  signal.  Every  man  was  grasping 
his  gun  and  crouching  low,  and  was  ready  to  start 
down  the  hillside. 

"  Come  on,  boys !  " 

The  leader  shouted  the  signal,  and  in  a  moment 
a  yell  was  heard  in  the  forest  that  seemed  to  come 
from  a  hundred  throats  instead  of  from  ten.  As 
Jairus  dashed  down  the  hill  with  his  companions, 
he  was  dimly  aware  that  the  noise  was  almost  deaf- 
ening. He  saw  the  leader  stop  and  wave  his  arms 
toward  imaginary  followers  yet  in  the  forest. 

"  Come  on,  boys !  Come  on,  boys ! "  he  kept 
shouting,  and  the  rushing  men  before  him  redoubled 
their  cries  and  whoops.  Some  discharged  their 
guns,  but  the  sound  only  added  to  the  uproar. 

The  startled  Tories  gave  one  glance  at  the  ap- 
proaching men  and  for  a  moment  stood  as  if  they 
were  spell-bound.  The  forests  seemed  to  be  filled 
with  their  enemies.  Whoops,  and  calls,  and  shouts 
seemed  to  be  heard  on  every  side.  And  on  the 
hillside  stood  a  man  continually  shouting,  "  Come 
on,  boys !  Come  on,  boys* ! "  The  woods  must  be 
filled  with  their  enemies,  and  plainly  their  only  safety 
lay  in  instant  flight.     . 

And  the  flight  was  instantaneous.  Dropping 
their  bundles,  the  men  fled  swiftly  up  the  rough 
roadway.  Even  the  guards  cast  aside  their  guns, 
and  did  their  utmost  to  keep  up  with  their  fleeing 
comrades.     It  seemed  to  them  as  if  all  of  Schuyler's 


238 


TIVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


army  must  be  in  pursuit,  and  that  their  only  safety 
lay  in  the  rapidity  of  their  flight. 

Some  of  them  stumbled  and  fell  directly  in  the 
pathway  of  others,  who  also  fell  headlong  over  their 
prostrate  forms.     They  cast  glances  of   terror  be- 
hind  them,  but  the  multitude  of  the  attacking  party 
seemed  to  increase  their  alarm.     They  hastily  arose 
and  dashed  forward,  every  man  apparently  being 
anxious  to  gain  the  van  of  the  strange  body.     Mean- 
while  the  shouts  behind  them  seemed  to  increase 
while  that  terrible  cry,  "  Come  on,  boys!     still  could 
be  heard  above  the  confusion  and  the  occasional 

reports  of  the  guns. 

Had  not  the  men  been  so  terribly  in  earnest  the 
sight  would  have  been  1  idicrous;  but  no  one  of  the 
pursuers  had  either  time  or  inclination  to  stop  and 
laugh  At  any  moment  the  true  condition  might 
be  discovered,  and  then  the  pursuers  would  be-ome 

the  pursued.  ..     •  j 

"  Let's  take  after  them.  It's  our  only  hope,  said 
Jeremiah;  and  acting  upon  his  suggestion, the  band 
started  in  swift  pursuit  of  the  Tories. 

It  was  a  desperate  thing  to  do,  and  perhaps  it 
they  had  taken  time  to  think,  they  would  never  have 
followed.  Sometimes,  however,  it  is  wise  to  follow 
the  first  impression  and  not  stop  to  consider  all  the 
possibilities  of  danger;  and  this  was  one  of  these 

occasions.  ^  •       n 

Still  whooping,  shouting,  calling,  and  occasionally 
discharging  their  guns,  the   band  started   up  the 


A  RAID. 


239 


r  only  safety 

irectly  in  the 
ing  over  their 
of   terror  be- 
tacking  party 
'  hastily  arose 
arently  being 
body.     Mean- 
d  to  increase, 
s!"  still  could 
the  occasional 

in  earnest,  the 
no  one  of  the 
n  to  stop  and 
>ndition  might 
would  bcome 

nly  hope,"  said 
istion,  the  band 

md  perhaps  if 
»uld  never  have 
wise  to  follow 
consider  all  the 
IS  one  of  these 

md  occasionally 
started  up  the 


rough  road.  Occasional  glimpses  of  their  foes  could 
be  caught,  but  the  Tories  were  doing  their  utmost 
to  distance  their  pursuers,  and  so  excellent  was  the 
time  they  made  that  when  the  chase  had  been  con- 
tinued for  the  greater  part  of  a  mile,  not  one  of  them 
could  be  seen. 

"  It's  time  for  us  to  go  back,"  said  Jeremiah,  as  the 
breathless  band  halted  for  a  moment.  "  I'm  thinkin' 
'twas  lucky  for  us  that  these  fellows  got  away.  If 
we'd  caught  'em,  we'd  be  in  about  the  same  fix  as 
a  man  who  caught  a  panther  by  the  tail.  He 
couldn't  let  go,  and  he  didn't  dare  hang  on." 

Jeremiah  had  virtually  become  the  leader  of  the 
band  now,  and  his  words  were  quickly  heeded.  All 
made  their  way  rapidly  back  to  the  point  and  at  once 
began  to  examine  their  plunder. 

"  There  are  no  horses  here,"  said  Jeremiah,  "  as  I 
can  find.  Those  Tories  must  have  expected  them 
later.  They  probably  were  just  loading  up  and  were 
waiting  for  horses  to  come.  Well,  we  can't  wait 
for  horses,  for  I'm  afraid  the  men  will  come  back. 
It's  too  bad  we  can't  get  this  stuff  away,  but  there's 
one  thing  we  can  do,  and  that  is  spile  it  for  any  one 
else.  That's  next  best  to  havin'  it  ourselves.  Come 
on,  boys !     Come  on,  boys  1 " 

And,  setting  an  example,  Jeremiah  broke  in  the 
head  of  one  of  the  barrels  of  flour  and  quickly  scat- 
tered its  contents  ov  ;r  the  ground.  In  a  moment 
all  his  companions  were  similarly  engaged.  The 
barrels   were    broken,   the    flour  spilled  over    the 


240 


rtVO   YOUNG   PATRIOTS. 


ground,  and  the  bundles  of  provisions  were  soon  all 
destroyed.  The  work  of  destruction  occupied  but  a 
few  moments,  and  a  scene  of  ruin  lay  all  about  them. 

«  Here's  something  worth  taking  back  with  us," 
said  Jeremiah,  as  he  returned  from  the  ravine,  which 
he  had  just  entered  to  satisfy  himself  that  nothmg 
of  value  remained.  "  Here's  some  guns."  and  as  he 
spoke  he  threw  upon  the  ground  a  musket  he  had 
found,  and  quickly  returned  to  the  ravine  for  more. 

His  example  here  was  also  speedily  followed, 
and  in  a  brief  time  twenty-five  guns  were  brought 
forth  and  cast  together  in  a  heap  on  the  ground. 
Satisfied  that  there  were  now  no  more  remammg, 
and  that  all  the  stores  had  been  destroyed,  the 
men  assembled  for  a  hurried  consultation. 

It  was  quickly  decided  that  the  guns  should  be 
divided  among  the  men,  and  that  then  the  band 
should  separate,  and  each  man  return  at  once  to  his 

own  home. 

Jeremiah  selected  two  of  the  best  of  the  guns  and 
gave  them  to  Jairus,  and  then  selecting  two  more, 
took  them  himself,  and  with  his  young  friend,  after 
bidding  adieu  to  his  companions,  started  quickly 
back  towards  the  tavern  of  Alec  Bryan.  They  met 
with  no  one  on  their  way.  and  by  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon  arrived  at  the  place. 

The  scout  was  not  at  home  when  they  returned, 
and  they  seated  themselves  in  the  public  room  while 
waiting  for  his  return,  meanwhile  talking  over  the 
exciting  events  of  the  morning. 


A  RAID. 


241 


vcre  soon  all 
cupied  but  a 

about  them. 
Lck  with  us,' 
ravine,  which 
that  nothing 
s,"  and  as  he 
isket  he  had 
tie  for  more, 
lily  followed, 
ivere  brought 

the  ground. 
re  remaining, 
estroyed,  the 
ion. 

ins  should  be 
tien  the  band 
at  once  to  his 

the  guns  and 
ing  two  more, 
g  friend,  after 
:arted  quickly 
n.  They  met 
middle  of  the 

they  returned, 
)lic  room  while 


Iking  over  the 


A  half-hour  had  passed  and  the  step  of  some  one 
was  heard  upon  the  piazza. 

"  Here  he  comes,"  said  Jeremiah. 

The  door  was  opened,  but  instead  of  Alec  Bryan 
an  Indian  in  his  war-paint  entered  the  room.  He 
was  an  immense  man  and  his  head  almost  seemed  to 
touch  the  beams  in  the  low  room.  The  two  men 
gazed  at  him  in  astonishment,  but  Jairus's  mind  was 
not  calmed  when  he  recognized  the  huge  savage 
as  none  other  than  the  Panther.  Nor  were  his  fears 
relieved  when  he  saw  that  the  recognition  was  mut- 
ual, and  that  the  Panther  evidently  knew  him. 


•I' 

1 

i  ■ 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE   BATTLE   IN    THE    RAVINE. 

W„aB  Samuel  and  his  c-P-]-J|:f,;r^::^: 

moving  in  the  *='7j"!f  2u,  to  level  his  gun  at 
*'.  and  whispered,  »  It's  the  harefut  ^  ^^^ 

°^n^uerirr''^"''"''^^^r 

an  enemy,  bamuei  ■  h-vrefooted  companion, 

saw  that  it  was,  mdeca,  thejr  b"et^  .^ 

and  that  he  was  movmg  "?  *<=^^f  „  was 

which  they  were  gomg.    The'-  °«    P^  ^„j 

discovered  by  Benson  at  about  the  »  ^^^^ 

he,  too,  might  have  done  =- ^amue  ha  ^^ 

to  do,  for  all  were  m  a  h'gWy  "'"^j,  „„„ching 

not  Timothy  ^"^denly  arisen     omh^^^,^i„,a: 
position  and,  burstmg  into  a  hearty  au 

"  Be  jabbers,  and  we  k,lt  h.m  ento.rely. 

-4'  "^t  rromrprSr around  !ny  o 

Kr  band.^    Served  iim  right,  or  me  names 

not  Timothy  Murphy." 

242 


THE  BATTLE  IN   THE  RAVINE. 


243 


E. 

the  Irishman 

Ithily  through 

another  man 

vel  his  gun  at 
y  touched  his 

I) 

;  man  was  not 
;  but  they  soon 
ted  companion, 
me  direction  in 
n  presence  was 
same  time,  and 
had  been  about 
rvous  state,  had 
(i  his  crouching 
augh,  exclaimed: 
rely.     The  baste 
at.     He's  got  his 
around   any   o' 
it,  or  me  name's 


All  three  were  standing  together  now,  and  gaz- 
ing down  upon  the  body  of  the  enemy  that  had 
been  heard  stealthily  approaching  their  hiding- 
place.  Before  them  lay  a  dead  buck.  It  was 
his  steps  which  they  had  heard.  Perhaps  he  had 
scented  their  presence,  and  had  stamped  his  feet 
in  anger  or  in  the  expectation  of  calling  forth  some 
manifestation  from  a  foe  he  had  suspected  to  be 
near.  His  efforts  certainly  had  been  successful 
and  had  awakened  the  sleeping  men,  and  he  had 
received  the  shot  of  all  three  guns. 

"  If  it  takes  three  guns  to  kill  one  deer,  how 
many  will  it  take  to  whip  the  army  of  Johnnie 
Burgoyne?"  asked  Timothy.  His  face  now  beamed 
with  good  nature,  and  as  he  stood  before  him,  in 
the  light  of  that  early  morning,  Samuel  thought 
he  had  never  seen  a  man  like  unto  him  before. 

"We've  no  time  to  waste  on  your  questions, 
Timothy,"  replied  Benson  soberly.  "  We  must 
hasten  back  to  Fort  Edward  with  the  information 
we  have  gained.  We've  seen  enough  to  know  what 
Johnson  and  his  red  villains  are  up  to,  and  we  must 
put  forth  at  once." 

"  Oi  hear  yez,"  responded  Timothy,  **  but  ye  don't 
mean  to  insist  that  we  shall  go  without  tryin'  to 
find  a  bit  of  somethin'  to  ate.  Why,  Providence 
itself  has  sint  yez  yer  breakfast,  and  'twould  be  al- 
most temptin'  that  same  to  put  it  by.  There's  a 
cry  from  me  sowl,  though  it  may  be  from  me  stom- 
ach, come  to  think  of  it,  which  can't  be  satisfied  at 


344 


TtyO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


all,  at  all.  without  a  bit  of  a  venison  steak.  Sure, 
and  ye  don't  mean  to  say  we  ought  to  be  tra^'ellm 
before  we've  cooked  a  slice  or  two?  Twould  be 
almost  temptin'  Providence,  that  it  would. 

"  We  must  wait  for  nothing,"  said   Benson  sol- 

emnly,  "and  besides,  a  (ire  would  tempt  Providence 

•far  more  than  going  without  your  breakfast,  to  say 

nothing  of  tempting  the  redskins  we  know  to  be 

all  about  here."  „       ,.  j 

"Oi'm  thinkin'  ye'll  have  it  yer  own  way.  replied 
Timothy  without  losing  his  good  nature,  and  not 
unmindful  of  the  danger  of  kindling  a  fire.  Well 
thin,  the  sooner  we  put  out,  the  sooner  well  git 
there.  What  are  we  waitin'  for  here  anyway.  Old 
loiketoknow?  Why  don't  we  start?  Oim  just 
dvin'  to  be  on  the  way  agin." 

"  We'll  start  now."  replied  Benson,  immediately 
shouldering  his  gun  and  leading  the  way. 

His  companions  at  once  followed  him,  although 
Samuel  shared  in  Timothy's  longing  for  a  piece  of 
broiled  venison  steak.  But  he.  too.  realized  the 
necessity  of  haste  and  the  danger  that  might  arise 
from  the  smoke  being  seen;  and  so  he,  too.  made  no 

^' The  barefooted  leader  again  seemed  to  know  no 
need  of  rest,  and  when,  late  in  the  afternoon,  the 
three  men  arrived  at  Fort  Edward,  Samuel  was  so 
nearly  exhausted  that  he  felt  but  slight  curiosity  to 
look  about  him,  at  the  men  and  defences  of  the 
.Vmerican  army.     He  eagerly  ate  the  supper  which 


steak.  Sure, 
be  tra^'ellin' 
'Twould  be 

lid." 

Benson  sol- 
jt  Providence 
lakfast,  to  say 
I  know  to  be 

,  way,"  replied 
ture,  and  not 
t  fire.  "  Well, 
oner  we'll  git 
!  anyway,  Oi'd 
•t?     Oi'm  just 

1,  immediately 
way. 

him,  although 
;  for  a  piece  of 
0,  realized  the 
lat  might  arise 
le,  too,  made  no 

ned  to  know  no 
:  afternoon,  the 
,  Samuel  was  so 
ght-  curiosity  to 
defences  of  the 
le  supper  which 


77/A   BATTLE  IN   THE  RAVINE. 


245 


Timothy  prepared  and  then  stretched  himself  upon 
the  ground  in  the  Irishman's  quarters,  and  slept  as 
only  a  tired  boy  can. 

The  next  morning  he  felt  greatly  refreshed,  and 
after  breakfast  looked  about  the  place,  eagerly  ex- 
amining the  fortifications,  which  to  him  seemed 
almost  impregnable.  He  could  not  und'^rstand  the 
misgivings  of  Timothy,  who  went  the  rounds  with 
him. 

"The  gineral  did  the  bist  he  could,  no  doubt 
aboot  that,"  Timothy  said,  "but  me  name's  not 
Timothy  Murphy,  if  such  works  can  iver  kape  out 
the  murderin'  ridcoats.  And  Oi'm  hearin'  as  how 
Johnnie  is  a  coomin'  through  the  swamp  at  the  rate 
of  a  mile  a  day.  That  manes  that  he'll  soon  be 
furnishin'  Timothy  Murphy,  of  Daniel  Morgan's 
dragoons,  a  good  mark.  Be  jabbers,  and  Oi'm  after 
hopin'  he  can't  shoot  back." 

Great  was  the  astonishment  in  the  camp  a  little 
later  when  it  was  learned  that  General  Schuyler 
had  decided  to  evacuate  Fort  Edward  and  drop 
back  to  Stillwater.  The  murmurings  of  some  of 
the  soldiers  almost  rose  into  threatenings,  at  what 
they  were  pleased  to  call  the  "cowardice"  of  the 
leader.  He  was  called  a  "Tory,"  a  "coward,"  a 
"weakling";  but  Philip  Schuyler,  true,  dignified,  and 
strong,  bore  all  without  a  murmur.  He  knew  then, 
what  we  all  know  now,  that  Fort  Edward  was  in 
no  condition  to  withstand  an  attack  from  Burgoyne's 
forces. 


246 


7'jrO    yOl'Xa   rATNlOTS. 


Besides,  an  en.i;ai;einent  in  an  open  field,  or 
among  the  trees  of  the  forest,  would  give  the  Amer- 
icans  many  advantages,  and  such  a  position  would 
also  deprive  the  British  and  Hessians,  unaccustomed 
as  they  were  to  warfare  on  the  frontier,  of  much  of 
their  strength. 

Philip  Schuyler  was  a  sensitive  man,  but  a  man 
of  noble  spirit,  and  while  doubtless  he  suffered 
keenly  from  the  unjust  criticisms  of  his  companions 
in  arms,  his  character  was  too  strong  to  suffer  him 
to  change  his  purpose  when  he  knew,  as  he  did  at 
the  time,  that  he  was  acting  for  the  best.  Keen  as 
his  sufferings  then  were,  they  were  soon  to  be  much 
keener;  for  the  injustice  of  the  feelings  with  which 
some  of  the  men  in  the  camp  regarded  him  were  as 
nothing  compared  with  the  injustice  with  which 
Congress  soon  acted  towards  him.  And  of  that 
we  shall  soon  hear. 

Meanwhile  we  must  stop  to  trace  a  few  of  the 
events  which  rapidly  followed  now,  in  each  army. 
When  Washington  had  learned  of  the  fall  of  Fort 
Ticonderoga,  he  had  quickly  despatched  Benedict 
Arnold  to  give  such  aid  as  lay  within  his  power  to 
the  army  in  the  North. 

Arnold  lingered  a  little  in  Philadelphia,  beggmg 
of  Congress  to  give  him  back  once  more  his  rank, 
relative  to  the  five  men  who  had  been  promoted 
over  him.  This,  Congress  unwisely  refused  to  do, 
and  Arnold,  now  thoroughly  angry,  delayed  no 
longer,  but  hastened  at  once  to  Schuyler. 


THE   HATTI.F.    IX    1111:    KAVINE. 


247 


en  field,  or 
•e  the  Amcr- 
sition  would 
naccustomed 
•,  of  much  of 

1,  but  a  man 

he   suffered 

i  companions 

to  suffer  him 

as  he  did  at 

;st.     Keen  as 

n  to  be  much 

;s  with  which 

I  him  were  as 

;  with  which 

And  of  that 

a  few  of  the 
n  each  army. 
le  fall  of  Fort 
hed  Benedict 
his  power  to 

phia,  begging 
more  his  rank, 
een  promoted 
refused  to  do, 
r,  delayed  no 
rler. 


His  arrival  was  at  a  tinu'  when  (icncial  S^hiiykr 
was  suffering  from  fresh  assaults  from  his  own  men, 
and  seldom  in  the  history  of  our  laiul,  or  of  any 
land  for  that  matter,  has  a  true  hero  suffered  more, 
or  more  unjustly,  from  the  ignorance  an'l  prejudice 
of  the  very  men  whom  he  was  striving  most  to  aid. 
Yet  the  noble-hearted  Schuyler  has  not  been  the 
only  man  to  suffer  in  that  manner.  From  the  days 
of  the  Nazarene,  few  men  have  tried  to  aid  or  bene- 
fit their  fellows  without  being  reviled  and  persecuted 
for  his  efforts.  People  complain  of  their  surround- 
ings and  conditions;  and  yet  they  dislike  to  be  dis- 
turbed. They  are  prone  to  look  suspiciously  at  any 
one  who  would  lead  them,  thinking,  first  of  all,  that 
he  has  some  selfish  end  in  vie  •■  Most  true  men 
are  in  advance  of  their  fellows,  and  only  the  later 
generations  do  them  honor.  The  old  couplet, 
concerning  the  greatest  of  all  the  poets,  reads:  — 

Seven  cities  contend  for  Homer  dead, 

Through  which  the  hving  Homer  begged  his  bread. 

It  is  a  great  thing,  as  well  as  a  good  thing,  for  a 
man  to  be  able  to  recognize  the  prophets,  teachers, 
leaders,  of  his  own  age,  and  be  ready  to  do  them  the 
honor  which  coming  generations  will  surely  offer. 

The  increased  perplexity  of  Philip  Schuyler  at 
the  time  when  Arnold  entered  the  camp,  came 
about  in  this  fashion.  St.  Leger,  as  we  already 
know,  had  landed  his  forces  at  Oswego  and  was 
pushing  his  way  up  the  Mohawk  valley,  prepared  to 


■MMMHHH 


P'ttUilHIl.MMpilMiJWiJilI'lf 


24' 


jiyo  yoi'.vo  r.tTKroTS. 


unit  ■  •  '1  Uiir,L;.»yno.  Hcjrn.and  Clinton.all  of  whom, 
it  w.i«  hoped,  \v(»uUl  nnikf  their  way  to  Albany. 

Sir  John  Johnson  with  his  regiment  of  Tories, 
known  as  the  Koyal  Greens,  was  doing  all  in  his 
power  to  aid  St.  Leger  by  stirring  up  the  Indians  to 
join  him.     In  this  he  was  partially  successful. 

The  Mohawks  under  their  great  chief,  Thayen- 
danega    (Bundle   of   Sticks),  or,   as   he  was  more 
familiarly  known,  Joseph  Brant,  had  rallied  to  the 
support  of  the  British.     Some  of  the  Cayugas  and 
Senecas  also  joined  St.  Leger,  but  the  Onondagas, 
Oneidas,  and  Tuscaroras  refused  the  offers,  and  even 
gave  aid  to  the  Americans.     Doubtless,  the  influ- 
ence of  the  saintly  missionary,  Samuel  Kirkland,  had 
had  much  to  do  with  holding  back  these  latter  tribes. 
St.  Leger  now  had  about  seventeen  hundred  men 
in  his  band,  and  pushed  his  way  through  the  forest 
until  he  arrived  near  Fort  Stanwix,  then  on  the  very 
borders  of  civilization.    It  was  a  fort  which  had  been 
built  in  1758,  on  the  watershed  between  the  Hudson 
and  Lake  Ontario,  and  on  the  direct  line  of  traffic 
and  travel  between  New  York  and  Upper  Canada. 
But  the  Americans  were  not  disheartened.     Six 
hundred  men  were  in  the  fort  under  the  command 
of   Colonel    Peter   Gansevoort,  and  down  through 
the  valley  the  German  settlers  were  rallying  under 
the  standard  of  General  Nicholas  Herkimer,  a  man, 
at  that  time,  sixty  years  of-  age,  and  the  commander 
of  the  militia  of  that  vast  region  which  was  then 
known  as  Tryon  county. 


,all  of  whom, 
Albany, 
t  of   Tories, 
\g  all  in  his 
le  Indians  to 
:essful. 
lief,  Thayen- 
c  was  more 
allied  to  the 
Cayugas  and 
;  Onondagas, 
Fers,  and  even 
ss,  the  influ- 
Kirkland,  had 
2  latter  tribes, 
hundred  men 
gh  the  forest 
n  on  the  very 
lich  had  been 
1  the  Hudson 
line  of  traffic 
pper  Canada, 
artened.     Six 
the  command 
lown  through 
allying  under 
kimer,  a  man, 
le  commander 
lich  was  then 


77//.    HATH.h    IX    THK  K A  VINE. 


249 


The  garrison  ;it  I'oit  Stanwix  had  laiiglu-d  at  the 
demand  of  St.  I.eger  to  sinrciuk'r;  for,  tloiibtlcss, 
they  were  not  entirely  ignorant  of  the  movements 
of  General  Herkimer's  little  army  of  eight  hundred 
men  who  were  marching  to  their  relief.  Indeed, 
the  plan  already  formed  was  for  General  Herkimer 
to  fall  upon  St.  Leger's  men  from  ix-hind,  while  the 
garrison  of  the  fort  was  to  advance  upon  them  in 
front  at  the  same  time.  To  make  sure  that  no  mis- 
take should  be  made,  Colonel  Gansevoort  was  to 
fire  three  guns  at  the  fort  as  soon  as  Herkimer's 
messengers  were  received  by  him,  and  then  the 
sturdy  general  was  to  fall  upon  the  rear  of  St. 
Leger's  force,  while  Gansevoort's  men  planned  to 
keep  up  a  firing,  to  hold  their  attention  in  front. 

The  scheme  was  a  bold  one  and  shrewd,  but  for 
its  success  it  depended  upon  there  being  absolutely 
no  mistake  made  in  the  time  of  beginning  the  attack 
or  in  the  cooperation  of  the  two  divisions. 

Herkimer's  messengers  ought  to  have  arrived  at 
the  fort  by  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  August 
5th,  for  his  army  was  near  now.  But  hour  after 
hour  passed,  and  the  signal  was  not  heard. 

Herkimer's  militia  began  to  complain.  They  did 
more ;  for  they  began  to  quarrel  among  themselves, 
and  even  to  taunt  the  old  general  with  cowardice. 
They  did  not  know  that  the  messengers  were  still 
two  hours  from  the  fort,  nor  were  they  aware  that 
St.  Leger's  active  Indian  scouts  had  already  learned 
of  the  presence  of  the  advancing  army,  and  that  the 


r 


250 


TWO   YOUNG  t^ATHrOTS. 


Royal  Greens  and  Joseph  Brant's  Indians  were  ad- 
vancing to  meet  them. 

Something  like  two  miles  west  of  Oriskany,  there 
was  a  large,  deep  ravine  directly  across  the  road. 
Thayendanega  at  once  saw  what  a  position  it  was 
for  an  ambuscade,  and  soon  his  men  lay  concealed 
there,  waiting  with  all  confidence  for  Herkimer's 
men  to  come. 

And  to  come,  they  were  soon ;  for  the  sturdy  old 
general  could  not  bear  the  taunts  of  the  soldiers, 
and  biting  his  pipe-stem  in  two  in  his  anger,  gave 
the  word  for  the  army  to  advance. 

At  ten  o'clock,  the  main  body  of  the  over- 
confident band  descended  into  the  ravine,  the 
baggage  wagons  following  them  closely,  while 
the  rear  guard  was  yet  behind. 

hi  a  moment  there  was  a  deafening  sound  of 
guns,  as  the  Royal  Greens  tame  charging  down 
from  in  front  upon  the  unsuspecting  men,  and  at 
the  same  time  the  Indians  with  frightful  yells 
rushed  in  from  behind  and  cut  off  the  men  in  the 
ravine  from  the  aid  of  the  rear  guard. 

The  main  body  were  at  once  thrown  into  confu- 
sion by  the  sudden  attack,  but  they  quickly  formed 
in  a  circle,  and  made  ready  to  meet  the  enemy, 
who  entirely  surrounded  them. 

What  a  sight  that  was  upon  which  the  August 
sun  that  morning  looked  down !  Fifteen  hundred 
men  were  struggling  in  that  deep  ravine.  Cries, 
shouts,  and  screams  rose  on  the  air,  mingled  with 


m 


ns  were  ad- 

ikany,  there 
is  the  road, 
iition  it  was 
ly  concealed 
Herkimer's 

2  sturdy  old 

the  soldiers, 

anger,  gave 

f    the   over- 
ravine,   the 
osely,    while 

ig  sound  of 
irging  down 
men,  and  at 
■ightful  yells 
;  men  in  the 

1  into  confu- 
lickly  formed 
t  the  enemy, 

I  the  August 
teen  hundred 
avine.  Cries, 
mingled  with 


Tf/E  BATTLE  IN  THE  RAVINE. 


251 


the  whoops  of  the  savages,  and  the  reports  of  the 
guns.  Men  were  fighting  hand  to  hand.  They 
slipped  and  slid  in  the  mire;  they  grasped  one 
another  by  the  throat;  they  used  their  giins  as 
clubs;  they  thrust  with  their  bayonets.  Men  fell 
together,  each  still  grasping  in  death  the  knives 
that  had  taken  their  lives.  Even  the  worst  horrors 
of  war  have  seldom  betm  equal  to  these  that  were 
seen  in  that  ravine  on  that  morning. 

General  Herkimer's  horse  was  shot  from  under 
him,  and  he  himself  had  his  leg  shattered  by  a  ball ; 
but,  taking  his  saddle,  he  placed  it  against  a  tree, 
and,  seating  himself  there  and  lighting  his  pipe, 
he  smoked  and  shouted  his  orders  to  his  struggling 
followers. 

Soon  the  heavens  themselves  grew  black.  The 
heavy  clouds  rolled  up,  and  rain,  and  lightning,  and 
the  deep  rolls  of  the  thunder  were  all  added  to  the 
horror  of  the  scene.  The  trees  swayed  under  the 
strong  wind,  the  rifles  were  soon  wet  and  useless, 
and  bayonet,  and  knife,  and  hatchet  and  brawny 
fist  were  now  the  only  weapons. 

The  Indians  soon  began  to  flee,  and  the  Tories 
to  retreat ;  but,  although  Herkimer's  men  held  the 
ground,  they  could  not  pursue  their  enemies. 

The  storm  had  now  passed,  and,  with  the  return 
of  the  sunshine,  the  sounds  of  guns  in  the  distance 
were  heard.  Colonel  Gansevoort  had  at  last  re- 
ceived the  messengers,  and,  at  once  suspecting  the 
cause  of  the  uproar  he  could  hear  in  the  distance, 


252 


riVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


had  sent  forth  Colonel  Willett  and  his  men  to  the 
aid  of  his  countrymen.  The  Tories  and  Indians 
were  driven  back,  and  three  times  seven  wagons 
were  loaded  with  the  spoils  of  the  battle  and  car- 
ried, by  the  Americans,  into  Fort  Stanwix.  Five 
British  standards,  all  of  Sir  John  Johnson's  papers, 
and  plans  of  the  campaign,  as  well  as  food,  drink, 
ammunition,  tools,  and  blankets,  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  victors. 

When  the  brave  Colonel  Willett  reentered  the 
fort,  he  raised  aloft  the  five  standards  of  the  British, 
and  above  them  he  hoisted  a  flag  which  he  had 
made  of  an  old  blue  jacket  and  some  strips  torn 
from  the  red  petticoat  which  the  wife  of  a  soldier 
had  given.  It  is  thought  by  many  that  this  was  the 
first  time  the  "  stars  and  stripes  "  were  ever  flung  to 
the  breeze  —  on  that  day  of  the  battle  of  Oriskany, 
August  6th,  1777. 

It  was  a  terrible  battle.  General  Herkimer  died 
a  few  days  afterwards,  but  it  is  said  that  the  sturdy 
old  general,  when  the  end  came,  was  propped  up  in 
bed  by  pillows,  and  was  calmly  smoking  his  long 
Dutch  pipe  and  reading  the  thirty-eighth  psalm. 

Few  wounded  men  survived  the  struggle ;  for  it 
was  a  fight  to  the  death,  and  it  is  claimed  tl.at  each 
side  lost  nearly  one-third  of  its  numbers.  The  Ind- 
ians soon  after  began  to  desert  St.  Leger,  and  the 
British  leaders  were  sadly  crippled;  but  the  end 
was  not  yet. 

The  report  of  the  condition  in  the  Mohawk  val- 


\ 


men  to  the 
md  Indians 
ven  wagons 
tie  and  car- 
nvvix.  Five 
son's  papers, 

food,  drink, 
to  the  hands 

eentered  the 
f  the  British, 
hich  he  had 
strips  torn 
of  a  soldier 
:  this  was  the 
ever  flung  to 
of  Oriskany, 

[erkimer  died 
at  the  sturdy 
tropped  up  in 
:ing  his  long 
ith  psalm, 
rugple ;  for  it 
led  tliat  each 
•s.  The  Ind- 
eger,  and  the 
but  the  end 

Mohawk  val- 


THE  BATTLE  IN  THE  RAVINE. 


253 


ley  had  come  to  General  Schuyler,  and  he  was  be- 
sought to  send  some  aid.  The  brave  commander 
well  knew  the  importance  of  holding  Fort  Stanwix, 
and  all  the  motives  of  humanity  also  combined  to 
make  him  wish  to  aid  his  struggling  comrades  in 
their  peril  out  on  the  border  of  the  wilderness. 

But  when  he  called  a  council  of  war,  many  of  his 
own  oflficers  opposed  him.  He  must  not  weaken 
their  forces  then,  for  they  were  in  peril,  too,  the 
oflficers  said.  Indeed,  this  remark  was  whispered 
by  one  oflficer  so  loudly  that  Schuyler  could  hear  it. 
He  could  endure  the  taunts  of  being  a  Tory  and  a 
coward,  but  when  he  heard  this,  he  bit  the  stem  of 
the  pipe  in  his  mouth  in  two,  as  Herkimer  had 
done  before  him,  and  as  it  fell  on  the  floor  and  was 
broken,  he  exclaimed :  "  Enough  !  I  assume  the 
whole  responsibility.  Where  is  the  brigadier  who 
will  go.?" 

The  oflficers  were  sullenly  silent,  until  Benedict 
Arnold  suddenly  stood  up,  and  said :  "  Here ! 
Washington  sent  me  here  to  make  myself  useful. 
I  will  go." 

The  drums  quickly  beat  to  arms,  and  soon  twelve 
hundred  of  the  New  England  men,  who  admired 
the  dash  and  bravery  of  Arnold,  had  offered  to  fol- 
low him ;  and,  with  the  man  who  afterwards  for- 
feited his  good  name  by  his  traitorous  deeds,  they 
left  the  army  to  go  to  the  relief  of  Fort  Stanwix  and 
its  garrison. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

A   STRUGGLE   WITH    THE    HESSIANS. 

Whatever  Benedict  Arnold  did,  he  did  with  his 
might,  mind,  and  strength,  and  when  he  started  on 
his   march   through   the    Mohawk  valley,  he  gave 
neither  the  men  nor  himself  any  rest.     For  seven 
days  they  pushed  on  without  pausing,  drawn  for- 
ward by  the  hope  of  relieving   their  friends   and 
countrymen,  whom  they  knew  to  be  beset  by  many 
perils,  and  cut  off  from  aid,  unless  they  themselves 
should  bring  it.     But  the  new  roads  were   rough, 
and  the  progress,  in  spite  of  all  the  leader's  energy, 
was  slow,  and  when  the  week  had  passed,  Arnold 
found  himself  still  twenty  miles  from  Fort  Stanwix. 
His  fear  now  was  that  the  garrison  would  become 
disheartened  at  the  failure  of  aid  to  come,  and  sur-  • 
render  to  the  besieging  army  of  St.  Leger.     The 
eagerness  arid  sympathy  of  Arnold's  men  were  of 
less  value  than  their  presence,  and  that  was  some- 
thing the  garrison  did  not  yet  have,  and,  perhaps, 
did  not  know  was  so  near. 

Arnold's  shrewd  mind  hit  upon  an  expedient  in 
this  crisis  that  accomplished  far  more  than  he  hoped. 

254 


NS. 

did  with  his 

e  started  on 

ey,  he  gave 

For  seven 

,  drawn  for- 

friends   and 

;set  by  many 

y  themselves 

were  rough, 

ider's  energy, 

ssed,  Arnold 

Fort  Stanwix. 

irould  become 

3me,  and  sur-  * 

Leger.     The 

men  were  of 

lat  was  some- 

and,  perhaps, 

I  expedient  in 
han  he  hoped. 


A  STRUGGLE   WITH  THE  HESSIANS. 


255 


A  number  of  Tory  spies  had  been  captured  in  the 
march  through  the  valley,  and,  among  them,  was  a 
well-grown  lad,  a  man  in  size,  but  who  was  half- 
witted. He  was  not  entirely  foolish,  however;  for 
his  cunning  had  been  shown  already  in  many  ways, 
and  his  very  foolishness  had  made  the  Indians  look 
up  to  him  as  one  not  to  be  trifled  with.  Indeed,  they 
always  looked  upon  a  crazy  person  or  a  fool  as  one 
tinder  the  special  guardianship  of  the  Great  Spirit, 
a  feeling  not  entirely  unknown,  perhaps,  among 
peoples  who  call  themselves  civilized ;  for  the  out- 
landish, the  strange,  and  the  sensational  are  almost 
always  sure  of  a  following. 

This  half-witted  young  Tory  spy  was  named  Yan 
Yost  Cuyler,  and  he  had  been  condemned  to  be 
hanged.  It  is  doubtful  whether  Arnold  really  in- 
tended to  carry  out  the  sentence  or  not;  but,  be 
that  as  it  may,  it  served  his  present  purpose  to  pre- 
tend to  be  ready  to  do  so,  at  any  rate,  and  the  rumor 
soon  spread  not  only  through  the  army,  but  among 
the  people  of  the  region,  that  Yan  Yost  was  to  die. 

Almost  beside  themselves,  the  foolish  boy's  mother 
and  brother,  not  very  much  better  in  their  wits  than 
Yan  Yost  himself,  hastened  into  the  camp  and  began 
to  plead  with  Arnold  to  spare  the  life  of  the  unfort- 
unate lad. 

The  leader,  for  a  time,  pretended  not  to  listen ; 
but,  at  last,  apparently  worn  out  by  the  pleadings, 
he  said  that  if  Yan  Yost  would  go  into  the  camp 
of  St.  I.eger  and  do  exactly  as  the  American  com- 


1 


256 


TH^O    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


mander  bade   him,  he  would   spare  his  hfe.    The 
spy's  brother  was  to  be  detained  in  the  camp,  how- 
ever, and  in  case  Yan  Yost  failed  in  his  project, 
why  then  the  brother  was  to  be  hanged  m  his  stead. 
The  three  members  of  the  Cuyler  family  eagerly 
agreed  to  the  proposal.     Arnold  sent  several  One.da 
Indians  along  with  Yan  Yost,  who  speedily  left  the 
American   army  and  departed   on   their  way.     In 
Yan  Yost's  coat  a  dozen  or  more  bullet-holes  had 
been  made,  and  he  had  been  carefully  told  just  what 
he  was  to  do  and  say.     As  it  happened,  that  very 
day  some  of  St.  Leger's  Indian  scouts  had  brought 
him  word  of  the  coming  of  a  great  American  host, 
and  while  the  British  leaders  were  consulting,  for 
the  commander  hastily  called  them  together  when 
he  received  the  word,  Yan  Yost  himself  came  run- 
ning into  the  camp. 

He  was  well  known  by  many  of  the  soldiers,  for 
he  had  been  a  frequent  visitor  in  the  camp,  and  now 
the  torn  coat  on  his  back,  and  the  terror  apparently 
stamped  upon  his  face,  told  a  story  of  their  own. 
He  was  quickly  brought  before  St.  Leger  and  his 
tale  of  his  adventure  with  the  great  host  of  Ameri- 
can soldiers,  who  were  near  and  rapidly  advancmg, 

was  soon  told.  .       .     ,  i.     *u^ 

When  the  Briti  '  general  inquired  as  to  the 
numbers  of  the  enemy,  Yan  Yost,  apparently  breath- 
less, only  pointed  up  to  the  thousands  of  leaves  upon 
the  trees  of  the  forest.  . 

The  gesture  was  as  threatening  as  it  was  signiti- 


A   STKUGGLE   WITH   THE  HESSIANS. 


257 


s  life.    The 

camp,  How- 

his  project, 

in  his  stead. 

imily  eagerly 

veral  Oneida 

edily  left  the 

eir  way.     In 

let-holes  had 

old  just  what 

icd,  that  very 

had  brought 

merican  host, 

onsulting,  for 

jgether  when 

elf  came  run- 

e  soldiers,  for 
amp,  and  now 
ror  apparently 
of  their  own. 
^eger,  and  his 
lost  of  Ameri- 
dly  advancing, 

red   as  to   the 

larently  breath- 

of  leaves  upon 

s  it  was  signifi- 


cant, and  in  a  moment  the  rumor  spread  throughout 
the  army  that  Burgoyne  had  been  defeated  and  that 
the  Americans  were  close  at  hand,  bent  upon  the 
destruction  of  St.  Leger's  forces. 

The  Indians,  who  had  remained  after  the  battle 
of  Oriskany,  at  once  began  to  leave  the  camp.  Both 
St.  Leger  and  Sir  John  Johnson  begged  and  pleaded 
with  them  to  remain,  and  some  did ;  but  they  broke 
open  the  casks  of  rum  and  soon  began  to  attack  the 
redcoats  themselves.  The  Tories  joined  in  the  riot, 
and  all  night  long  the  scene  in  St.  Leger's  camp 
was  one  that  bafifles  description.  Songs,  whoops, 
cries,  fights,  were  on  every  side,  and  when  the  morn- 
ing light  came,  St.  Leger  and  his  men  hastily  started 
from  the  camp  for  Oswego,  leaving  behind  them  the 
most  of  their  stores  and  provisions. 

This  was  the  opportunity  for  Colonel  Gansevoort, 
and  the  little  garrison  of  Fort  Stanwix  sallied  forth 
to  gain  the  spoils.  Cannon,  ammunition,  and  tents 
all  became  theirs.  Some  even  kept  up  the  pursuit 
of  St.  Leger  all  the  way  to  Oswego,  and,  not  alto- 
gether to  their  credit  be  it  said,  were  aided  by  some 
of  the  very  Indians  who  had  been  with  the  British, 
but  who  were  quick  to  turn  now  to  what  they  thought 
was  the  winning  side ;  and  when  at  last  the  crest- 
fallen St.  Leger  sailed  away  on  the  lake,  only  a 
remnant  of  his  army  remained  to  go  with  him. 
Fort  Stanwix  was  saved,  and  Arnold  returned  to 
the  American  army  near  the  Hudson. 

Meanwhile,  another   event   had  occurred,  which 


.:' 


/ 


[I 


laMfca"*"'" 


258 


TIVU   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


troubled  Burgoyne  even  more  than  the  repulse  of 
St.  Leger,  and  increased  the  danger  which  was  daily 
becoming  greater  and  threatening  to  overwhelm 
the  boastful  leader. 

Among  the  Green  Hills  of  Vermont  was  the  little 
village  of  Bennington.  There,  the  patriotic  country 
people  had  been  collecting  stores,  horses,  ammuni- 
tion, and  various  other  necessities  of  war. 

Word  of  all  this  was  brought  John  Burgoyne,  who 
at  once  decided  it  would  be  a  grand  thing  to  disperse 
the  rebels  there  and  appropriate  their  possessions  to 
his  own  use ;  for  the  question  of  supplies  for  his  army 
was  fast   becoming  a  pressing  one.     Accordingly, 
he  sent  a  force  of  five   hundred   Hessians  under 
Colonel  Baum,  and  with  them  a  hundred  Indians 
and  Tories,  to  gain  possession  of  the  stores  at  Ben- 
nington, and  scatter  the  assembled  rebels.     Why 
Burgoyne  should  have  sent  so  small  a  force,  and  one 
composed  largely  of  men  entirely  unfamiliar  with 
the  country  and  the  frontier  methods  of  warfare,  has 
always  been  a  matter  of  surprise  to  some ;  but  the 
truth  probably  is  that  he  relied  upon  the  word  of 
some  of  his  Tory  friends,  who  explained  to  him  that 
the  men  of  the  region  were  only  waiting  for  a  favor- 
able  opportunity  to  flock  to  his  standard.     How 
true  this  was,  we  may  judge  from  the  fact  that 
Colonel  Baum  soon  sent  back  for  reinforcements, 
and  another  body,  of  five  hundred  Hessians  and  two 
cannon,  was  quickly  sent  forward  to  his  aid. 

And  he  needed  them  badly;  for  Colonel  John 


A  STRUGGLE   WITH  THE  HESSIANS. 


250 


I  repulse  of 

ch  was  daily 

overwhelm 

vas  the  little 
otic  country 
,es,  ammuni- 
r. 

rgoyne,  who 
g  to  disperse 
ossessions  to 

for  his  army 
Accordingly, 
ssians  under 
ired  Indians 
tores  at  Ben- 
ebels.  Why 
orce,  and  one 
familiar  with 
f  warfare,  has 
)me;  but  the 

the  word  of 
d  to  him  that 
ig  for  a  favor- 
ndard.  How 
the  fact  that 
enforcements, 
isians  and  two 
lis  aid. 
Colonel  John 


Stark  was  in  command  of  the  militia  at  Bennington, 
one  of  the  bravest  men  of  the  Revolution.  Already 
he  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  battles  at  Bunker 
Hill,  Trenton,  and  Princeton,  but  he  too,  like  the 
leader  of  the  Americans  in  the  expedition  for  the 
relief  of  Fort  Stanwix,  had  not  received  the  promo- 
tion he  thought  he  deserved,  and  had  gone  back 
home  to  Vermont  to  have  nothing  more  to  do  with 

the  war. 

The  approach  of  Burgoyne's  army,  the  danger 
that  threatened,  and  the  care  of  the  militia  that 
quickly  assembled,  soon  brought  him  cut  again; 
and  declaring  now  that  he  would  not  take  orders 
from  any  man,  he  accepted  the  position  of  leader. 

Colonel  Seth  Warner  and  his  brave  men,  who 
had  fought  so  well  at  Hubbardton,  soon  joined  him, 
and,  daily,  recruits  came  to  his  camp. 

The  Hessians  had  begun  to  throw  up  entrench- 
ments along  a  shallow  little  stream  known  as  the 
Walloomsac.  The  rain  fell  in  torrents  while  the 
sturdy  Germans  were  working,  and  John  Stark 
smiled  grimly ;  for  he  knew  the  next  morning  would 
disclose  the  plans  he  had  in  mind. 

During  the  night  more  New  England  men  joined 
Stark's  forces,  and  in  the  morning  the  storm  had 
ceased.  It  was  a  hot,  sultry  August  day,  not  the 
best  kind  of  a  day  for  a  struggle,  but  far  worse  for 
the  Hessians  than  for  their  enemies.  The  morning 
passed  and  the  attack  was  not  begun,  but  the  men 
were  not  idle.     The  New  England  farmers,  in  small 


26o 


7W0  YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


squads  or  divisions,  were  passing  around  to  tiie  rear 
of  the  Hessian  position,  and  we  now  know  that 
many  of  them  were  seen  by  Colonel  Baum,  but  he 
gave  little  heed  to  them,  as  they  wore  no  uniforms 
and  he  never  saw  many  together.  Whenever  he 
had  fought  in  the  old  country,  he  had  always  seen 
men  in  bright-colored  uniforms  and  moved  in  stately 
marches  and  in  large  divisions.  These  little  squads 
of  countrymen  he  never  thought  of  as  enemies,  and 
so  worked  steadily  on,  ignoring  them  all. 

By  afternoon,  five  hundred  or  more  of  these 
apparently  harmless  men  were  behind  him,  while 
John  Stark  with  a  still  larger  force  lay  before. 
Suddenly  the  men  in  the  rear  of  the  Hessians  began 
an  attack.  They  were  all  good  marksmen,  and 
before  their  sudden  and  deadly  fire  the  Hessians 
were  thrown  in  instant  confusion,  while  the  Indians 
quickly  ran  for  the  woods. 

The  Hessians,  however,  began  a  desperate  defence, 
but  the  American  men  in  front  advanced  also  to  the 

attack. 

Colonel  Stark  had  pointed  his  sword  at  the  re- 
doubt of  the  enemy,  and  facing  his  own  men  had 

called  out :  — 

"There,  my  lads,  are  the  Hessians!  To-night 
our  flag  floats  over  yonder  hill  or  Molly  Stark  is 
a  widow!"  And  his  men  had  responded  with  a 
shout  and  a  dash  that  promised  well. 

The  hills  shut  out  the  view  of  the  movements  of 
the  Americans  from  the  Hessian  colonel,  who  ap- 


A   STRUGGLE   WITH   TIIF.   HESSIANS. 


361 


1  to  the  rear 
know  that 
aum,  but  he 
no  uniforms 
Whenever  he 
always  seen 
red  in  stately 
little  squads 
gnemies,  and 
11. 

»re  of  these 
I  him,  while 
:  lay  before. 
;ssians  began 
rksmen,  and 
:he  Hessians 
E  the  Indians 

erate  defence, 
ed  also  to  the 

ird  at  the  re- 
»wn  men  had 

5 !  To-night 
[oily  Stark  is 
)nded  with  a 

1. 

movements  of 
lonel,  who  ap- 


parently had  no  thought  of  leaving  his  entrench- 
ments and  going  forth  on  the  open  ground  to  do 
battle.  Again  and  again  he  plied  the  Americans 
with  grape  and  musketry,  but  he  did  not  seem  to 
be  able  to  make  any  impression  upon  the  attacking 
parties.  They  appeared  to  be  on  every  side  of  him 
at  once.  They  were  forming  a  circle  and  gradually 
closing  in  upon  the  Hessians. 

The  battle  became  fiercer  and  fiercer.  The  farmers 
were  not  afraid  of  the  Hessians'  cannon  and  even 
charged  up  to  the  very  muzzle  of  their  guns.  For  an 
hour  the  doughty  Hessian  colonel  kept  up  the  strug- 
gle, but  then  it  was  seen  that  his  fire  was  beginning 
to  slacken.  He  had  been  hoping  all  the  time  that 
their  reinforcements,  for  which  he  had  sent,  and 
which  he  knew  had  left  Burgoyne's  camp,  would 
come  to  his  aid ;  but  he  waited  in  vain,  for  the  help 

did  not  come. 

As  soon  as  the  Americans  perceived  that  the  fire 
was  slackening  and  the  defence  apparently  becom- 
ing weaker,  they  rushed  close  up  and  clambered 
over  the  breastworks  and  poured  into  the  re- 
doubts. 

But  the  brave  Hessians,  for  they  were  brave  and 
were  fighting  with  the  energy  born  of  despair,  were 
not  yet  willing  to  give  up.  The  long  range  was 
gone  now,  and  the  contest  became  hand  to  hand. 
The  Hessians  threw  away  their  muskets  and  bayo- 
nets, and  drew  their  broadswords  and  rushed  to 
meet  the  oncoming  enemy.     They  were  not  look- 


I 


262 


TWO    YOUNG  PATHIOTS. 


ill);  for  victory  now,  only  hoping  to  he  able  to  cut 
their  way  throuj^h  and  escape  from  the  place. 

But  that  hope  was  soon  abandoned,  for  there 
were  too  many  of  the  Americans  for  them  to  be 
pushed  back  or  overborne.  The  end  had  come, 
and  Hessians,  Tories,  and  Canadians  alike  sur- 
rendered. There  was  no  doubt  .vliout  the  victory 
thus  far. 

The  Americans  were  wild  with  delig)\i.  A  few 
rushed  back  to  Bennington,  where  every  man, 
woman,  and  child  assembled  there  were  awaiting 
the  issue  in  fear  and  trembling.  Household  goods 
had  been  carried  out  of  the  houses  and  loaded  upon 
wagons  ready  to  depart  at  a  moment's  warning. 
Women  and  children  stood  in  the  streets  holding 
one  another  by  the  hand  and  listening  to  the  sounds 
of  those  awful  guns  on!}-  six  miles  aw  ly,  where  their 
fathers,  and  brothers,  and  sons  were  struggling  for 
life  far  more  than  for  liberty.  It  is  needless  to 
attempt  to  picture  the  joy  which  the  words  of  the 
messengers  produced. 

But  most  of  the  Americans  were  yet  busy  on  the 
battlefield.  The  ranks  were  broken,  and  the  men 
were  scattered  in  every  direction,  some  eager  to 
gain  the  booty,  some  caring  for  the  wounded,  and 
some  searching  for  the  dead,  while  others  were 
guarding  the  prisoners.  It  seemed  as  if  complete 
demoralization  had  seized  upon  the  entire  band  of 
patriots,  and  yet  the  Hessian  reinforcements  were 
close  at  hand.     They  had  delayed  long  on  the  way, 


■site 


able  to  cut 
ilacc. 

I,  for   there 

them  to  be 

had   come, 

alike   sur- 

the  victory 

!\l.  ^\  few 
every  man, 
re  awaiting 
ihold  goods 
oaded  upon 
's  warning, 
lets  holding 
the  sounds 
where  their 
uggling  for 
needless  to 
ords  of  the 

busy  on  the 
id  the  men 
e  eager  to 
>unded,  and 
)thers  were 
if  complete 
ire  band  of 
ments  were 
on  the  way, 


! 


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A    STKUGCl-F.    WITH    THE   HESSIANS. 


263 


but  the  rncl  of  their  journey  had  cvune.  Before  the 
startled  Americans  fairly  realized  what  was  occur- 
ring, the  advancing  Hessians  were  upon  them.  Their 
discipline  and  training  now  began  to  assert  them- 
selves, and  in  unbroken  lines  they  came  on.  At 
first  the  Americans,  who  had  quickly  rallied,  were 
pushed  backward,  but  Warner's  men  with  fresh  re- 
inforcements had  also  come  to  their  aid,  and  their 
approach  gave  Stark  and  his  men  an  opportunity 
to  form  themselves  and  take  fresh  courage. 

Again  the  former  tactics  were  followed.  The 
Americans  began  to  encircle  the  Hessians,  and 
their  firing  was  sure  and  deadly.  Colonel  Stark 
also  brought  one  of  the  captured  Hessian  cannons 
to  bear  upon  the  advancing  foe.  The  thought  of 
losing  what  they  had  already  gained  gave  the 
Americans  fresh  courage.  They  held  their  own, 
then  steadily  began  to  advance,  firing  all  the  time. 
Soon  they  were  so  near  that  the  opposing  lines 
could  see  the  faces  in  front  of  them.  The  Hes- 
sians were  falling  on  every  side  and  there  was  no 
one  to  come  to  their  aid  now.  Their  horses  were 
shot  down,  the  artillery  was  useless,  and  the  dark- 
ness was  fast  approaching. 

It  was  now  the  turn  of  the  Hessians  to  fall  back, 
and  the  falling  back  soon  turned  into  a  flight. 
Their  guns  were  abandoned,  and  every  man  was 
looking  after  his  own  safety.  But  the  Americans 
were  much  exhausted  by  the  two  battles  within  so 
brief  a  time,  and  as  it  was  also  now  so  dark  that 


I 


m  -]p.«ii_""MiM^lig«,'tJ|i'iSMj.%^iiL  i-ijyi  mmm>m* 


164 


7iro    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


tlicy  could  Mot  distinguish  friend  from  foe,  they  soon 
gave  up  the  pursuit,  satisfied  to  hold  the  ground 
which  now  they  had  taken  twice  in  one  afternoon. 

And  what  had  they  gained  ?  Four  cannon,  one 
thousand  stands  of  arms,  one  thousand  dragoon 
swords,  and  seven  hundred  prisoners;  while  more 
than  two  hundred  of  the  Hessians  lay  dead  upon  the 
field.  The  American  loss  was  fourteen  killed  and 
forty-two  wounded. 

And  the  effect  of  the  battle  upon  the  Americans 
was  best  of  all :  for  it  had  shown  that  farmers  and 
frontiersmen  could  be  a  match  for  the  best-trained 
soldiers  in  the  world. 

When  the  scattered  Hessians  at  last  made  their 
way  back  into  Burgoyne's  camp,  it  was  a  sad  story 
they  had  to  tell.  Their  loss  had  been  great,  and 
the  perplexities  of  the  commander  were  greatly 
increased. 

The  question  of  supplies  was  becoming  a  serious 
one,  and  meanwhile  no  word  from  Howe  or  Clinton 
had  been  received.  He  had  not  only  lost  the  sup- 
plies which  he  had  hoped  to  gain  at  Bennington, 
but  the  efifect  of  the  battle  there  was  to  send  the 
wavering  men  into  the  American  camp,  instead 
of  into  his  own. 

As  for  Colonel  John  Stark,  his  wife  was  not  made 
a  widow  then,  and  we  know  that  his  insubordination 
was  soon  forgiven  and  he  received  the  longed-for 
commission  of  brigadier-general.  It  was  as  true 
then,  as  it  is  now,  that  nothing  succeeds  like  success. 


Americans 
Farmers  and 
best-trained 

made  their 
a  sad  story 
I  great,  and 
ere  greatly 

\g  a  serious 
J  or  Clinton 
►St  the  sup- 
Ben  nington, 
o  send  the 
Tip,  instead 

is  not  made 
bordination 
longed-for 
as  as  true 
ike  success. 


A  STRUGGLE    IVIIH   THE  //KSSfANS. 


265 


)e,  they  soon 

the  ground 

afternoon. 

cannon,  one 

nd   dragoon 

while  more 

ad  upon  the 

n  killed  and 


Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs,  and  such  wire 
the  happenings  on  the  left  and  right  of  the  two 
main  armies,  after  Samuel  Goodwin  reached  the 
camp ;  and  while  his  uncertainty  as  to  his  mother 
and  brother  increased  through  all  these  days,  he 
had  little  time  to  think  of  himself  amidst  these  stir- 
ring scenes. 


mmtmrnimutm'^- 


~1 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  RETURN  OF  THE  PANTHER. 

As  the  Panther  stood  in  the  doorway,  both  Jairus 
and  Jeremiah  could  see  the  look  of  intense  hatred 
that  shot  forth  from  his  eyes,  and  as  jt  also  became 
at  once  apparent  that  he  was  partially  mtoxicated 
they  knew  that  their  own  position  was  one  of  great 
danger.     They  had  both  left  their  guns  in  the  ad- 
Sg  room,  for  neither  had  had  any  thought  o 
he  approach  of  an  enemy,  and  as  they  looked  at 
the  huge  Indian,  they  realized  quickly  that  a  des- 
perate encounter  was  before  them. 

Jeremiah  made  a  slight  movement  as  if  he  we  e 
about  to  leave  his  chair,  as  indeed  he  was,  for  he 
had  thought  to  gain  possession  of  his  gun  by  a 
sudden  departure  from  the  room ;  but  he  was  held 
in  his  seat  by  the  movements  of  the  lnd»an^ 

With  a  yell  that  almost  caused  their  hearts  to 
stop  beating,  the  Panther  suddenly  with  one  hand 
drew  his  tomahawk  from  his  belt,  and  with  the  other 
grasped  his  long,  keen  s6alping-knife,  and  with  a 
bound  stood  directly  before  them. 

His  eyes  seemed  to  flash  fire,  and  turning  alter- 

266 


\ 


THE  RETURN  OF   THE   PANTHER. 


1^ 


R. 


^  both  Jairus 
itense  hatred 

also  became 
^  intoxicated, 

one  of  great 
ns  in  the  ad- 
,y  thought  of 
ley  looked  at 
ly  that  a  des- 

as  if  he  were 
le  was,  for  he 
his  gun  by  a 
t  he  was  held 
ndian. 

heir  hearts  to 
,vith  one  hand 
with  the  other 
Ee,  and  with  a 

turning  alter- 


nately from  one  to  the  other,  he  began  to  swing  his 
tomahawk  and  flourish  his  knife  as  if  he  were  in  the 
very  act  of  tearing  the  scalp  from  some  helpless 
victim. 

His  motions  were  incredibly  swift,  and  as  he  danced 
about,  and  flourished  his  weapons,  he  shouted :  "  Me 
great  warrior.  Panther  great  chief.  Me  no  scalp 
um  squaw.  Me  no  scalp  um  Jenny  M'Crea.  Me 
kill  um  paleface !  Me  kill  um  boy !  Young  pale- 
face no  more  hit  um  big  chief !     Me  Panther!     Me 

big  chief ! " 

Jairus  and  Jeremiah  seemed  almost  spellbound. 
They  were  without  any  weapons  of  defence,  and  the 
slightest  movement  on  the  part  of  either  served  to 
direct  the  attention  of  the  furious  Indian  to  him. 

Not  for  a  moment  did  he  cease  his  threatening 
motions.  He  leaped  and  danced  about  the  room, 
ever  keeping  his  flashing  eyes  upon  the  men,  and 
swinging  his  arms  with  such  rapid  motions  that  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  follow  him.  Jeremiah  ex- 
pected each  moment  that  the  tomahawk  or  the 
knife  would  be  thrown. 

With  an  agony  that  almost  shut  off  his  breath, 
the  lad  gazed  at  the  leaping,  shouting  warrior,  un- 
able to  turn  his  eyes  away  from  the  frightful  sight, 
and  yet  feeling  sick  and  faint  as  he  watched  the 
movements  of  the  Panther,  whose  rage  and  excite- 
ment seemed  to  increase  each  moment. 

"  Me  no  kill  um  squaw !  Me  no  scalp  white 
squaw !    Me  kill  um  young  paleface ! "  shouted  the 


268 


TfVO    YOlWa  PATHrOTS. 


Panther,    advaiuins    »l><>"    J'"**"^    ''^    '^^'    spoke; 
and   the   lad   thought   his   own    last   moment  had 

come.  . 

But  quickly  turning  from  him,  the  warrior  faced 
Jeremiah,  and  shouted  in  tones  that  might  have 
been  heard  far  away :  "  Me  great  warrior.  Me  take 
hundred,  tousan  scalps !  Me  scalp  um  sof  "  and  he 
brought  his  knife,  as  he  spoke,  within  a  few  mches 
of  the  white  man's  head. 

It  seemed  to  Jairus  as  if  he  were  in  some  fright- 
ful dream.  He  could  not  speak  or  cry  out.  His 
tongue  felt  dry  and  parched,  and  his  eyes  seemed  to 
be  starting  out  of  his  head.  He  knew  the  Panther 
had  recognized  him,  and  doubtless  felt  that  the  time 
to  avenge  the  blow  Jairus  had  given  him  weeks  before 
with  the  paddle,  when  he  had  tried  to  seize  the  canoe 
in  which  the  lad  was  escaping,  had  come. 

"  Me  big  Indian !     Me  great  chief !     Me  no  scalp 
um  white  squaw!     Me  kill  um  warrior!     Me  take 
um  paleface  scalp,  me  no  take  um  white  squaws 
scalp !     The  Panther  is  a  man !     Me  big  chief ! 
still  shouted  the  excited  Indian. 

Why  he  did  not  strike  them,  Jairus  could  not 
understand.  Perhaps  he  was  doing  all  this  to  pro- 
long their  agony  and  increase  their  suffering,  as  a  cat 
sometimes  seems  to  take  delight  in  tormenting  or 
playing  with  some  helpless  bird  or  mouse  which 
has  become  its  victim. 

Jairus  had  not  even  glanced  at  his  companion,  as 
his  entire  attention  seemed  to  be  fastened  upon  the 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  TANTHER. 


369 


he    spoke  ; 
nomcnt  had 

.varrior  faced 
might  have 

)r.  Me  take 
so!"  and  he 

a  few  inches 

\  some  fright- 
:ry  out.  His 
^es  seemed  to 
r  the  Panther 
that  the  time 
1  weeks  before 
eize  the  canoe 
me. 

Me  no  scalp 
or!  Me  take 
vhite  squaw's 
e  big  chief ! " 

rus  could  not 
all  this  to  pro- 
fering,  as  a  cat 
tormenting  or 
mouse  which 

companion,  as 
ened  upon  the 


leaping,  dancing,  shouting,  furious  savage  before  him, 
in  whose  power  they  seemed  to  be  helpless. 

But  Jeremiah  was  a  powerful  man,  although  he 
was  not  nearly  so  large  as  the  huge  Indian;  and 
after  the  first  astonishment  and  fear  at  the  move- 
ments of  the  Panther  had  gone,  he  began  coolly  to 
consider  what  might  be  done.  To  leave  his  chair 
was  impossible,  for  the  slightest  movement  on  his 
part  would  make  the  furious  savage  fling  his  knife 
or  tomahawk.  And  yet  something  must  be  done. 
To  sit  there  quietly  and  wait  for  the  Indian  to  pro- 
long the  agony  and  take  his  own  time  for  their 
destruction  was  impossible. 

Jeremiah  soon  perceived  that  the  very  chair  in 
which  he  was  seated  would  be  no  mean  weapon  of 
itself,  but  how  to  use  it  before  the  knife  could  be 
thrown  was  the  problem  to  be  solved.  The  old  sol- 
dier was  alert  now,  and  each  time  when  the  Panther 
turned  towards  Jairus,  he  moved  his  arms  back  a 
trifle,  and  his  hands  came  nearer  to  the  back  of  the 
chair.  But  the  moment  for  action  had  not  yet  come. 
"  Me  big  chief ! "  shouted  the  Panther.  "  Me  no 
scalp  um  white  squaw!  Me  no  kill  urn  Jenny 
M'Crea!  Me  kill  um  paleface  man!  Me  scalp 
um  paleface  warrior!  Me  take  um  young  pale- 
face scalp  so  !  "  and  again  the  savage  warrior,  stand- 
ing before  the  pale  and  trembling  Jairus,  went 
through  the  motions  of  scalping  his  victim.  This 
time  he  came  still  closer,  and  Jairus  closed  his  eyes, 
feelinii  that  now  the  end  had  come. 


saaeaiMMWiMfiiiffi**!  • '. 


p«l» 


mm^- 


270 


Tiyo  yocA'd  i'athiots. 


When  he  opened  them,  he  saw  that  Jeremiah 
had  suddenly  leaped  to  his  feet,  and  swung  the 
chair  in  which  he  had  been  seated  high  above 
his  head.  The  Indian  saw  it  too,  and  with  a  yell 
turned  to  meet  the  attack. 

Jeremiah  had  grasped  the  heavy  wooden  chair  by 
the  back  and  had  swung  it  above  him,  and  was  just 
in  the  act  of  bringing  it  down  upon  the  Indian's 
head  when  Jairus  first  opened  his  eyes  and  saw 
him. 

The  lad  gazed  at  his  companion  in  helpless  agony. 
It  was  but  a  moment  of  time,  and  yet  would  Jere- 
miah be  quick  enough  to  prevent  the  thrust  of  the 
knife  which  the  Panther  was  preparing  to  give? 
The  soldier's  face  was  set  and  hard,  and  he  had 
put  forth  all  his  strength  in  the  blow. 

The  room  in  which  they  were  was  low,  and  along 
the  ceiling  ran  the  heavy  beams  and  timbers  of  the 
house,  so  low  that  he  could  almost  touch  them  with 
his  uplifted  hand  when  he  was  standing  erect.  And 
there  stood  Jeremiah  before  him,  with  the  chair  held 
back  over  his  head,  and  the  Indian  prepared  to  spring 
upon  him. 

Down  came  the  chair,  with  all  the  strength  Jere- 
miah could  put  into  the  blow;  but  the  leg  of  it 
struck  against  the  low  beams,  and  with  a  louder  yell 
the  Panther  easily  dodged  the  strange  weapon  and 
turned  quickly  to  rush  upon  his  assailant. 

But  Jeremiah  instantly  raised  the  chair  aloft  once 
more,  and  as  the  Panther  leaped  towards  him,  this 


J 


npHP 


t  Jeremiah 
swung  the 
liigh  above 
with  a  yell 

len  chair  by 
nd  was  just 
he  Indian's 
es  and  saw 

pless  agony, 
would  Jcre- 
lirust  of  the 
ig  to  give  ? 
ind   he  had 

V,  and  along 
ibers  of  the 
h  them  with 
erect.  And 
le  chair  held 
red  to  spring 

rength  Jere- 

le  leg  of  it 

a  louder  yell 

weapon  and 

Jt. 

lir  aloft  once 

rds  him,  this 


77/A    A/yJl'A'X   (>/•    y//A    /'./A'/ //A  A'. 


371 


time  he  brought  it  squarely  down  upon  the  head 
and  shoulders  of  the  infuriated  savage.  The  blow 
was  too  much  even  for  the  huge  Indian  to  with- 
stand, and  he  sank  upon  the  floor. 

"Come,  Jairus,  help  me!"  called  Jeremiah,  as  he 
dropped  the  chair  and  sprang  upon  the  Indian,  who 
at  once  was  striving  to  rise  to  his  feet  again. 

The  lad  instantly  responded,  and  then  began  a 
terrible  struggle  for  the  possession  of  the  knife  and 
tomahawk.  Over  and  over  upon  the  floor  rolled 
the  three  contestants.  Sometimes  one  was  upon 
the  top  of  the  struggling  mass,  and  then  another 
would  gain  the  advantage  for  a  moment.  The  chair 
was  broken,  and  the  room  resounded  with  the  sounds 
of  the  contest.  The  breathing  of  the  men  could 
easily  have  been  heard.  All  that  is  evil  in  man 
seemed  to  be  stamped  upon  their  faces.  They 
struggled,  they  struck,  they  kicked,  and  rolled  over 
and  over  upon  the  floor. 

At  last  Jairus  managed  to  hold  one  leg  of  the 
warrior  to  the  floor,  and  throwing  himself  upon  it 
grasped  the  other  with  both  his  arms.  At  the  same 
time  Jeremiah  cast  himself  upon  the  warrior's  chest, 
and  with  a  mighty  effort  grasped  each  of  his  wrists 
and  held  them  on  the  floor  before  him.  The  Panther 
lay  stretched  out,  with  two  men  sitting  upon  him, 
and  his  hands,  in  each  of  which  he  still  held  a 
weapon,  fastened  to  the  floor.  The  panting  Jere- 
miah looked  down  into  the  evil  face  beneath  him 
and  shuddered  as  he  tightened  his  grasp ;  for  never 


1 


i 


"iwjj*!  "J'L-.xm.r  .f.ViiU'rKBf^ 


T^wrirwOTfwtr-p'ffivrsr' 


i\%K'i.ii~\'.%'.im 


ii 


TWO  voutva  j'.i/A'/oja. 

before  had  he  seen  such  complete  hatred  expressed 

on  any  countenance.  ,       •  ^ 

The  contest  in  a  sense  was  ended,  but  the  victors 
did  not  know  what  to  do  with  the  victory  they  had 
won  Neither  of  them  dared  to  move  and  tne 
slinhtest  relaxation  of  their  grasp  would  give  an 
advantage  to  the  Indian,  who  to  all  appearances 
was  much  less  wearied  by  the  struggle  than  was 

either  of  his  captors. 

Suddenly  Jeremiah  shouted,  "Help!    Help!   Will 

some  one  come  and  help  us  ? " 

At  the  words  the  Panther  again  began  to  strug- 
gle, but  his  efforts  were  unavailing,  as  he  was  still 
held  in  the  grasp  of  the  men. 

They  waited  several    moments,   but    their  call 
was   not    heeded,  and.   indeed,   Jairus    could    not 
think  of  any  one  who  would  be  likely  to  come  to 
their  aid.     Alec  Bryan  was  away  from  home,  and 
their  only  hope  lay  in  the  arrival,  as  he  thought,  of 
some  passing  stranger,  who  might  be  as  hkely  to 
take  the  part  of  the  Panther  as  he  would  their  own. 
Must  they  remain  where  they  were  and  trust  to 
such  chance  aid  as  might  come?    And  yet  he  could 
think  of  no  way  by  which  they  might  secure  their 
captive;  for  it  would  not  be  safe  for  either  to  release 
his  grasp  in  the  least,  even  for  an  instant. 
"  Can  I  do  anything  to  help  you  ? " 
Both  Jeremiah  and  Jairus  glanced  quickly  up  at 
the  sound,  and  saw  standing  in  the  doorway  of  the 
public  room  a  young  girl,  apparently  about  eighteen 


Mi 


:d  expressed 

it  the  victors 
jry  they  had 
»ve,  and  the 
»uld  give  an 
appearances 
rle  than  was 

Help!   Will 

gan  to  strug- 
i  he  was  still 

ut    their  call 
,s   could    not 
ly  to  come  to 
»m  home,  and 
le  thought,  of 
e  as  likely  to 
uld  their  own. 
and  trust  to 
d  yet  he  could 
it  secure  their 
ther  to  release 
tant. 

1  quickly  up  at 
ioorway  of  the 
about  eighteen 


THH.    KUTVKX  01-    Till:    IWMIII.K. 


73 


years  of  age.  Her  eyes  were  filled  with  wonder  at 
the  strange  sight  before  her,  and  the  terror  which  it 
had  first  inspired  apparently  had  not  entirely  disap- 
peared. 

"  Ah,  my  lass,"  said  Jeremiah  quickly,  "  that  yc 
can!  Run  and  get  a  rope.  Get  it  as  quickly  as 
possible,"  he  added,  as  the  Panther  once  more  re- 
newed his  struggles  to  free  himself.  His  captors 
had  all  they  could  do  for  a  time  to  retain  their  hold; 
but  they  had  succeeded  when  the  girl  returned,  bring- 
ing a  coil  of  rope  in  her  hands. 

"  Try  and  see  if  you  can't  wrench  this  tomahawk 
and  knife  out  of  his  hands,"  gasped  Jeremiah.  •'  I 
can  hold  them  so  he  can't  hurt  you." 

The  girl  approached  and  tried  to  carry  out  his 
suggestion,  but  her  efforts  were  unavailing.  "  I 
can't  do  it,"  she  said.  "  He  holds  them  too  tight. 
I  can't  move  them." 

"Then  slip  the  rope  around  his  feet.  Make  a 
slip-noose,"  gasped  Jeremiah.  "Can't  ye  do  that?" 
"  I'll  try,"  responded  the  sturdy  lass. 
Jairus  held  the  warrior's  feet  while  the  girl 
slipped  the  rope  under  them.  She  readily  made  the 
slip-noose,  and  then  drew  it  as  tight  as  her  strength 
would  permit. 

•'  Now  cut  that  rope  and  do  the  same  thing  with 
his  hands,"  said  Jeremiah.  "  I'll  hold  'em  so  he 
can't  hurt  ye.  There,  don't  be  in  a  hurry  about 
it!  Take  yer  time  and  be  careful,"  ho  added,  as  he 
saw  the  girl's  face  become  pale  as  she  stood  where 


^.ttlWJJ,li«MHWI«ilMlliMiliir'lW8CiliMniiaT<W'«i««»W'i«'~i'B^^ 


,„. .^3 


wtSs^wM^a*-" 


274 


TiyO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


she  could  look  down  into  the  blazing  eyes  of  the 
helpless  warrior. 

For  a  moment  the  savage  Panther  again  tried  to 
free  himself.  He  twisted,  and  squirmed,  and  strug- 
gled, exerting  a  strength  that  seemed  to  be  almost 
supernatural,  and  both  Jairus  and  Jeremiah  for  a 
time  thought  that  he  would  succeed  in  getting  away 
in  spite  of  their  efforts ;  but  the  advantage  was  with 
them,  and  at  last  the  girl  succeeded  in  placing  the 
rope  under  his  arms,  and  again  making  a  noose, 
drew  it  tight  with  all  her  strength.  At  Jeremiah's 
direction  she  had  left  a  yard  or  so  of  the  rope  be- 
yond the  knot  when  she  cut  it,  and  the  reason  for 
doing  so  at  once  became  apparent. 

"Now,  Jairus,"  said  Jeremiah,  without  looking 
behind  him  as  he  spoke,  "  when  I  count  three  we'll 
both  jump  off  from  him  together,  and  I'll  grab  this 
rope  and  you  take  the  one  by  his  feet.  We'll  pull 
him  up  against  the  legs  of  this  'ere  table.  You  pull 
his  feet  around  towards  you  and  I'll  yank  his  hands 
towards  me,  and  if  we  pull  hard  enough,  we'll  have 
him  sure  and  fast.     Be  ye  ready  ?  " 

"Yes,"  replied  Jairus,  looking  carefully  at  the 
rope    which    the    girl    had    placed   close    by    his 

hands. 

"  You'd  better  go  outside,"  said  Jeremiah  to  the 
girl,  who  went  as  far  as  the  doorway,  and  then 
stopped  and  waited  to  see  the  issue  of  the  struggle; 
for  the  girls  as  well  as  the  boys  of  the  frontier  were 
of  necessity  made  of  sturdy  stuff. 


^aiaaiyi;  • 


iWiUftMlliiiliWUWl 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  PANTHER. 


275 


;yes  of  the 

lin  tried  to 
,  and  strug- 

be  almost 
miah  for  a 
etting  away 
je  was  with 
placing  the 
g  a  noose, 

Jeremiah's 
lie  rope  be- 

reason  for 

3ut  looking 
t  three  we'll 
['11  grab  this 
We'll  pull 
;.  You  pull 
ik  his  hands 
I,  we'll  have 

uUy  at  the 
ose    by    his 

:miah  to  the 
ly,  and  then 
the  struggle ; 
Frontier  were 


"Now,  then,  Jairus,"  continued  Jeremiah,  "get 
ready  and  do  yer  best !     One,  two,  three  ! " 

In  an  instant  the  two  men  leaped  from  the  pros- 
trate body,  and,  grasping  the  ropes,  pulled  them 
quickly  around  the  legs  of  the  table,  which  was 
standing  near. 

The  Panther  struggled  desperately,  but  all  his 
struggle  was  in  vain,  and  his  captors  soon  had  him 
bound  fast  in  a  position  from  which  he  could  not 
move  himself. 

"  Now,  then,  ye  varmint,  I'll  give  ye  a  dose  of  yer 
own  medicine ! "  said  Jeremiah,  as  he  wrenched  the 
knife  and  tomahawk  from  the  hands  of  the  Panther. 
"  I'll  show  ye  just  how  good  it  feels  to  have  a  war- 
dance  goin'  on  in  front  of  ye.  Me  big  Injun!  Me 
no  scalp  um  white  squaw,"  he  continued,  imitating 
the  cries  and  movements  which  the  Panther  had 
used  a  few  moments  before.  "  I'll  show  ye  what  I 
can  do  with  a  knife,  too ! "  and  he  advanced  and 
stood  over  the  prostrate  Indian  as  he  spoke.  The 
Panther,  however,  made  no  response,  though  his 
dark  eyes  blazed  like  burning  coals. 

"  Oh,  hold  on,  Jeremiah ! "  said  Jairus  quickly. 
"  Don't  touch  him  now.  Let's  think  of  what's  best 
to  be  done." 

As  he  spoke,  Jairus  glanced  about  him  for  the 
girl  who  had  given  them  such  substantial  aid,  but 
she  had  disappeared.  "  Don't  you  use  the  knife  on 
him.  'Twas  bad  enough  for  him.  We  don't  want 
to  use  any  such  tricks." 


ll 


276 


TIVO    YOUNG  rATRIOTS. 


«  No,  you  don't ;  that's  a  fact,"  said  Alec  Bryan, 
who  just  then  entered  the  room  and  gazed  in  aston- 
ishment about  him.  "What  have  you  been  up  to, 
anyway  ?     What's  all  this  rumpus  about,  I'd  like  to 

know."  ,  ,    . 

Jeremiah  briefly  related  the  story  of  their  encoun- 
ter, and  as  he  finished,  Bryan  said:  "I  know  this 
fellow.  He's  'The  Panther,'  as  they  call  him. 
They're  telling  great  stories  about  him,  too,  just 
now  But  you  don't  want  to  knife  him  — not  but 
what  he  deserves  it,  but  that  isn't  the  thing  to  do 

with  him  now." 

"  What  shall  we  do,  then  ?  He's  too  dangerous  a 
varmint  to  be  allowed  to  run  around  loose." 

"  So  he  is,"  replied  Bryan, "  but  we'll  take  him  out 
to  my  smoke-house   and   leave  him  there  for  the 

night."  ,        ,    T.       r 

"  Jest  as  you  say,"  said  Jeremiah.  "  though  I  m  of 

the  opinion  'twould  be  better  to  have  a  little  smoke 

there,  too."  ,     1     1    j 

Bryan  laughed,  but  made  no  reply  as  he  looked 
carefully  to  the  cords  with  which  the  Indian  was 
bound.    Apparently  not  satisfied   by  his  examina- 
tion,  he  procured  some  more  rope  and  proceeded  to 
bind   the   prisoner  more   securely.     Then,   at  the 
scout's  word,  the  three  men  freed   him   from  the 
table,  and  lifting  him  in  their  arms  carried  him  out 
to  the  smoke-house,  and  leaving  him  within,  care- 
fully fastened  the  door  and  went  back  to  the  public 
room. 


■■lniiiLiiiittuiti*W 


THE  RETURN  OE   THE   PANTHER. 


277 


\lec  Bryan, 
ed  in  aston- 
been  up  to, 
t,  I'd  like  to 

lieir  encoun- 
I  know  this 
y  call  him. 
m,  too,  just 
n  —  not  but 
thing  to  do 

dangerous  a 

ose. 

take  him  out 

;here  for  the 

hough  I'm  of 
I  little  smoke 

as  he  looked 

?.  Indian  was 

his  examina- 

proceeded  to 

rhen,   at  the 

lim   from  the 

rried  him  out 

within,  care- 

;  to  the  public 


Jairus  and  Jeremiah  showed  plainly  the  effects  of 
the  fearful  struggle  through  which  they  had  passed, 
but  when  they  seated  themselves  it  was  with  a  feel- 
ing of  intense  relief,  for  only  a  few  moments  before 
neither  had  hoped  to  escape  as  they  had. 

"When  you  goin'  to  start  for  Phil  Schuyler s 
army?"  inquired  Alec  Bryan  abruptly. 

"  Right  away.    The  sooner  we  get  out  of  this,  the 

better,"  said  Jeremiah.  ,.   ,     . 

"No,  you   ain't  goin'   right  away,"  replied   the 

scout.  „ 

"  We're  not  ?     Why  not,  I'd  like  to  know  ? 
"  Because  you'll   have  to  wait  till  mornin',  now. 
Mebbe  you  remember  the  girl  what  happened  in 
and  gave  you  the  rope  ? "   he  inquired. 

"Yes." 

"  Well,  I  want  her  to  go  with  you,  and  so  you  11 
have  to  wait  till  mornin'.  There's  a  bit  of  a  story 
I've  got  to  tell  you,  too;  so  you  see  you'll  jest  have 
to  wait,  and  that's  all  there  is  about  it." 

His  hearers  looked  at  him  in  surprise,  and  Alec 
at  once  began  his  story. 


■MM* 


CHAPTER   XXV. 


A  NEW  COMPANION. 


"  You  see,"  began  Alec  Bryan,  "  the  story  as  it 
comes  to  me  is  somewhat  like  this.  There  was  a 
girl  named  Jenny  M'Crea  visitin'  down  here  below 
Fort  Edward  at  Mrs.  M'Neil's.  Mrs.  M'Neil.  you 
know,  was  a  cousin  of  General  Eraser,  and  I  suppose 
they  thought  they'd  be  all  safe  there  on  *bat  ac- 
count. Well,  it  seems  there  was  a  young  Tory 
lieutenant    among    the    redcoats,    named     David 

Jones." 

Jairus  began  to  listen  more  intently  as  he  heard 
the  lieutenant's  name  mentioned,  for  there  were 
special  reasons  for  his  recollection  of  him ;  but  he 
said  nothing,  and  the  scout  went  on  with  his  story 
without  perceiving  the  lad's  increased  interest. 
"  Well,  Lieutenant  David  sent  for  Jenny,  to  whom 
he  was  engaged  to  be  married,  to  come  to  the 
British  camp.  Some  say  he  sent  for  her  to  come  so 
that  they  could  be  married  by  Chaplain  Brudenell, 
for  a  good  many  of  the  officers,  and  men  too,  for 
that  matter,  have  their  wives  along  with  them ;  but 
I  understand  Jones  denies  sending  the  letter.     He 

378 


»il   •. 


L, 


story  as  it 
here  was  a 
here  below 
M'Neil,  you 
d  I  suppose 
an  *Uat  ac- 
oung  Tory 
ned     David 

IS  he  heard 
there  were 
um;  but  he 
th  his  story 
ed  interest, 
ly,  to  whom 
ome  to  the 
r  to  come  so 
n  Brudenell, 
men  too,  for 
ti  them;  but 
letter.     He 


A  NEW   COMPANION. 


279 


promised  the  Panther,  and  the  Indians  who  went 
with  him  to  eonduct  Jenny  to  the  British  eami),  a 
barrel  of  rum  if  they  succeeded. 

"  The  stories  don't  agree  very  well  from  this  point 
on,  some  sayin'  as  how,  after  Jenny  and  Mrs.  M'Neil 
started,  that  they  were  attacked  by  a  party  of  Ameri- 
cans, and  that  poor  Jenny  was  shot;  but  others  say 
when  the  Indians  stopped  on  the  way  by  a  spring, 
they  got  to  quarrellin'  among  themselves  about  who 
should  have  charge  of  that  barrel  of  rum  they  were 
to  have,  and  that  at  last  they  got  so  warm  about  it 
that  one  of  the  savages  up  with  his  tomahawk  and 
crushed  in  the  skull  of  the  poor  girl. 

"  Well,  Mrs.  M'Neil  got  into  the- camp,  and  pretty 
soon  she  saw  one  of  the  redskins  waving  a  scalp  he 
had  taken,  and  she  knew  at  once  it  was  Jenny's; 
for  her  hair  was  all  black  and  glossy  and  as  shmy  as 
silk  I  suspect  there  was  a  great  time  then,  and  I 
understand  Burgoyne  had  the  Panther  up  before 
him  and  threatened  to  hang  him  for  the  deed,  but 
the  redskin  couldn't  be  proven  guilty,  and  so  got  off. 
I  think  he  must  have  got  some  o[  the  barrel  o'  rum, 
though,  from  the  stories  I  hear  about  him." 

"  I  don't  think  there's  very  much  doubt  about 
that,"  said  Jeremiah  ruefully,  for  he  still  bore  many 
of  the  marks  of  his  recent  encounter.  "  I've  been 
close  enough  to  get  a  whiff  of  his  breath  myself." 

"  So  I  fancy,"  replied  Alec  dryly.  "  But  you're 
safe  now,  and  so  is  the  Panther.  It's  a  fearful  story, 
though,  this  about  Jenny  M'Crea.  and  unless  I'm 


. 


$$& 


Tiro    YOUNG   PATRIOTS. 


greatly  mistaken,  it  will  help  to  fill  out  Schuyler's 
regiments  more  than  all  the  other  things  put  together. 
You  see,  the  settlers  won't  stop  to  think  very  much, 
and  they're  afraid  the  next  ones  to  suffer  will  be 
their  own  wives  and  daughters,  and  they  blame 
Johnnie  Burgoyne  for  it  all.  Perhaps  they're  right 
too,  for  all  I  know.  He  had  no  right  to  use  the  red- 
skins anyway,  and  it's  bound  to  hurt  him  most  of  all 
in  the  long  run." 

Jairus  still  was  silent.  He  was  thinking  of  Lieu- 
tenant Jones,  whom  he  thoroughly  liked,  and  was 
wondering  how  he  was  bearing  his  sorrow.  His 
thoughts  were  recalled  in  a  moment,  however,  by 
the  question  which  Jeremiah  asked. 

"  But  what  about  this  other  girl,  the  one  you  say 
we've  got  to  take  with  us  ?  It's  a  pretty  big  con- 
tract, I'm  thinkin',  to  take  a  young  girl  with  us 
through  a  country  such  as  this  is  now." 

"  Yes,  I  know  it,"  replied  Bryan,  "  but  that's  the 
very  reason  why  she's  got  to  go  with  you.  It  isn't 
just  safe  for  her  to  go,  but  it's  a  good  deal  more  un- 
safe for  her  to  stay  here.  The  Tories  and  Indians 
are  thick  as  flies  around  a  milk-pail.  She  just  can't 
stay  here,  and  that's  all  there  is  about  it.  Her 
name's  Prudence,  —  Prudence  Thorpe,  —  and  she's  a 
kind  of  a  friend  of  Mrs.  Schuyler's.  Leastwise,  Mrs. 
Schuyler'U  look  after  her,  and  you  two  men  will 
have  to  see  that  she's  placed  in  her  care.  She's  a 
brave  lass,  and  will  give  you  little  trouble,  and  if  you 
should  happen  to  have  a  brush  with  the  Tories  or 


^IfeiwMMMiM 


U 


Schuyler's 


t  together, 
'ery  much, 
er  will  be 
liey  blame 
iy're  right 
se  the  red- 
most  of  all 

ig  of  Lieu- 
1,  and  was 
TOW.  His 
Dwever,  by 

le  you  say 
ty  big  con- 
rl  with   us 

that's  the 
u.  It  isn't 
il  more  un- 
nd  Indians 
e  just  can't 
it  it.  Her 
-  and  she's  a 
stwise,  Mrs. 
3  men  will 
e.  She's  a 
I,  and  if  you 
e  Tories  or 


A  NFAV  roArp.4/\r/OA'. 


aftt 


Indians,  she'll  take  her  part,  most  as  well  as  this  lad 
here,"  and  he  pointed  at  Jairus  as  he  spoke. 

"  That  may  all  be  so,"  replied  Jeremiah,  "  but  I 
don't  see  how  she's  going  to  stand  the  tramp.  It's 
a  good  long  ways  to  Fort  Edward,  and  we're  not 
going  to  crawl  over  the   ground,  let  me   tell   ye, 

either." 

"You  won't  have  to;  I've  got  three  horses  for 
you.  When  you  get  into  the  camp,  you  just  turn 
'em  over  to  Phil  Schuyler.  I'm  thinkin'  he  may  be 
able  to  find  some  use  for  'em." 

"  Horses .?  That  alters  the  case  entirely.  I  think 
we  may  be  able  to  take  her,  after  all." 

"  Of  course  you'll  take  her.     But  you're  not  goin 
to  have  any  easy  time,  let  me  tell  you.     There'll  be 
plenty  of  men  to  pick  you  off  if  you  don't  look  out. 
Still,  I'm  goin'  to  give  you  a  tip  or  two  before  you 
start,  and  I'm  thinkin'  I  may  be  able  to  slide  you 

through." 

"  How  in  the  world  do  you  manage  to  keep  so 
well  posted,  Alec  ? "  said  Jeremiah  admiringly. 

"  You  don't  expect  me  to  give  you  all  my  secrets, 
do  you  ?  Still  I  don't  mind  tellin'  you  that  I  am 
pretty  well  posted,  fairly  well  that  is,  if  I  do  say  as 
ought  not.  Now,  just  to  show  you  that  I  know  what 
I'm  talkin'  about  you  listen  while  I  run  over  on  my 
fingers  what  Johnnie  Burgoyne's  been  a  doin'." 

Alec  Bryan  spread  out  the  fingers  of  one  hand, 
and  with  the  other  began  to  count  off  the  move- 
ments of  the  British  commander.    "On  the  6th  of 


iuijwiBiM«;«aaRafe.??sBi 


282 


7'»rt>    YOUNG  PATNtOTS. 


11 


May  Jolinnie  arrives  at   Quebec;  on  the   loth   lie 
receives  tlie  coniniand   of    the  army  from  (ieneral 
Carletoii,  a  man  who  in  my  opinion  forgot  more  in 
one  minute  than  Johnnie  could  learn  in  one  year, 
which  same  is  neither  here  nor  there.     This  was  at 
Quebec,  too,  you  understand.     On  the   1 2th  he  ar- 
rives at  Montreal,  and  pretty  soon  off  he  starts  with 
all  his  men.     On  the  7th  of  June  he  leaves  Three 
Rivers;  from  the    loth  to  the    Mtb   he's   at    Fort 
Chambly ;  on  the  1 5th  he's  at  Isle  au  Noix ;  from 
the   17th  to  the  20th  he's   at   Cumberland    Head. 
Then  from  the  21st  to  the   28th  he's  at  the  river 
Bouquet,  and  on  the  29th  and  30th  he's  at  Crown 
Point.     On  the  ist  day  of  July  he's  at  Ticonderoga; 
from  the   7th  to  the    23d  at    Skenesborough    and 
then  at  Fort  Anne,  and  my  impression  is  that  now 
he's  in  Fort  Edward.     There,  doesn't  that  look  as 
if  I'd  followed  Johnnie  pretty  fairly  well.?"  added 
the  scout  with  evident  pride. 

"It  does  that!"  said  Jeremiah  with  enthusiasm. 
"  But  I  don't  understand  about  Burgoyne  being  in 
Fort  Edward.  Have  you  heard  anything  ?  Has  he 
driven  Schuyler  out  ?     What  do  you  mean  ? " 

"  No,  he  hasn't  driven  Schuyler  out,  but  Schuyler 
may  have  gone  out  of  his  own  accord.  I  happen  to 
know  that  such  a  thing  is  pretty  likely  to  happen." 
"  And  that  means  that  the  Americans  are  being 
driven  right  on  towards  Albany  and  will  be  caught 
between  the  two  armies,  and  smashed  like  a  fly 
between  my  two  hands,"  said  Jeremiah  gloomily. 


iiiiWi 


maum 


ho    loth   he 
»m  (icnoral 
[ot  more  in 
n  one  year, 
This  was  at 
1 2th  he  ar- 
i  starts  with 
;aves  Three 
e's   at    Fort 
Noix ;  from 
land    Head, 
at  the  river 
's  at  Crown 
'iconderoga; 
orough    and 
is  that  now 
that  look  as 
,'ell?"  added 

enthusiasm, 
^ne  being  in 
ig  ?     Has  he 
lean?" 
but  Schuyler 

I  happen  to 
r  to  happen." 
ns  are  being 
ill  be  caught 
sd  like  a  fly 
i  gloomily. 


A  NHIV  COMPANION. 


2S3 


"  It  doesn't  mean  anything  of  tlu:  kind.  Phil 
Schuyler's  all  right,  and  he  know-  just  what  he's 
doin',  every  tinvj.  You'll  know  more  about  that 
later  on,  I'm  thinkin'.  Now  we'll  have  some  supper, 
and  after  your  fracas  you'll  be  tired  enough  to  get 
in  bed  early ;  for  you'll  want  to  start  in  the  mornin' 
before  sunrise,  I'm  thinkin' !  " 

Supper  was  now  ready,  and  as  they  sat  down  to 
the  table,  Jairus  found  that  he  was  seated  next  to 
Prudence  Thorpe.  He  felt  somewhat  embarrassed, 
at  first;  for  the  recollection  of  the  first  sight  she  had 
had  of  him,  when  he  was  struggling  desperately  to 
hold  the  feet  and  legs  of  the  Panther,  was  fresh  in 
his  mind. 

He  was  soon  at  his  ease,  however ;  for  Prudence 
praised  him  for  his  bravery,  and  soon  drew  forth 
the  story  of  his  adventures  since  John  Burgoyne 
had  appeared  on  Lake  Champlain. 

"  And  your  name's  Jairus  Goodwin,  is  it  ? "  she 
said  when  they  had  left  the  supper  table  and  were 
standing  by  one  of  the  windows  in  the  family  sitting- 
room, 

"  Yes,"  replied  Jairus.  "  Why  do  you  ask ?  That's 
the  second  time  you've  done  it.  Don't  you  think 
it's  a  good  name .?  " 

Oh,  it  will  do.  It  will  have  to,  I  suppose,  for 
such  a  young  soldier  as  you,"  laughed  Prudence. 
"  Only  I  was  thinking.  It's  not  the  first  time  I've 
heard  it,  if  you  must  know." 

But  to  all  of  the  lad's  questions,  as  to  where  or 


284 


riyo    YOUNG   PATRfOTS. 


how  she  had  hoard  the  name  before,  she  would  give 

no  reply. 

Still,  when  Jairus  was  summoned  by  Jeremiah  to 
go  to  bed,  he  thought  he  had  spent  a  very  pleasant 
evening,  and  as  he  turned  to  leave  the  room  he  said  : 
"  Then  you  are  to  go  with  us,  are  you,  in  the  morn- 
ing ?     Well,  I'm  very  glad  of  it,  for  my  part." 

"  Are  you  ? "  said  Prudence  demurely.  "  Well,  I 
don't  know  whether  I  am  or  not ;  but  as  Alec  Bryan 
has  promised  to  see  that  I  am  soon  safely  with 
Mistress  Catherine  Schuyler,  I  fancy  I  shall  have  to 
put  up  with  such  protection  as  I  can  find.  If  Alec 
Bryan  is  content  to  trust  me  with  you,  I  don't  sup- 
pose a  protest  would  do  any  good,  even  if  I  offered 
one.  I  only  hope  there  won't  be  any  Indian  to  kick 
at  you  on  the  way.  At  any  rate,  I  think  we'd  better 
take  some  rope  along  with  us." 

Jairus  colored  deeply,  not  being  in  the  least  famil- 
iar with  the  ways  of  girls,  and  thinking  that  she  was 
making  fun  of  the  appearance  he  presented  when 
first  she  had  seen  him.  However,  he  managed  to 
say  "good  night,"  and  at  once  followed  Jeremiah, 
who  was  holding  a  candle  in  his  hands,  to  the  room 
in  the  low  and  unfinished  loft. 

"  I've  been  out  to  see  the  Panther,"  said  Jere- 
miah as  they  prepared  for  bed.  "  His  eyes  burned 
like  coals,  but  he  didn't  say  anything  when  I  opened 
the  door  and  looked  in  at  him.  'Twas  a  great  feat, 
that,  my  lad,  when  we  took  and  tied  him  up.  'Twas 
a  great  feat,  indeed." 


A  NEW  COMP^tNlON'. 


it$ 


WDulcl  give 

lereiniah  to 
iry  pleasant 
3m  he  said : 
1  the  morn- 
jart." 

.  "  Well,  I 
Alec  Bryan 
safely  with 
hall  have  to 
d.  If  Alec 
I  don't  sup- 
if  I  offered 
dian  to  kick 
:  we'd  better 

e  least  famil- 
that  she  was 
sented  when 
managed  to 
id  Jeremiah, 
to  the  room 

"  said  Jere- 
eyes  burned 
len  I  opened 
a  great  feat, 
n  up.    'Twas 


"  I  thou«'ht  Prudence  was  the  one  who  tied  him," 
responded'jairus.  who  was  still  thinking  of  the  light 
way  in  which  he  thought  the  girl  regarded  h.m. 
"  It  seems  to  me  for  two  men,  to  say  nothmg  of  the 
help  of  a  girl,  to  be  able  to  tie  up  one  Indian,  was 
not  such  a  wonderful  thing  to  do,  Jeremiah.    ^ 

"What's   gone  wrong  with  ye,    my  lad?      said 
Jeremiah  quickly.   "  Has  that  little  wench,  Priidence, 
been  turning  yer  head  in  this  short  time?      Ah  my 
lad    my  lad,"  added  the  soldier,  shaking  his  head, 
"y^'re  a  silly  boy  to  let  one  little   lass  steal  yer 
wits  away  like  this.     But  then  ye're  not  so  differ- 
ent from  the  rest  of  us,  I  suppose,  after  all.     And  ye 
'twas  a  wonderful  thing  to  do !     Why,  when  I  lifted 
that  chair  and  it  struck  against  the  beams,  I  thought 
it  was  all  up  with  us,  I  did  indeed.     Ye  see,  the 
Panther  was  armed  with  a  knife  and  tomahawk,  and 
I  suppose  he's  the  most  powerful  brute   in    Bur- 
goyne's  army.     He's  a  giant,  he  is,  and  I  want  to  put 
yer  mind  at  rest.     Don't  you  believe  it  was  a  little 
thing  we  did.     Don't  ye  let  that  little  wench  - 

Jeremiah  suddenly  stopped  and  glanced  keen  y  at 
Jairus,  who  was  already  in  bed,  and  apparently  asleep. 
"  Humph,"  he  muttered  as  he  blew  out  the  candle 
and  took  his  place  beside  his  companion,  but  just 
what  he  meant  by  the  expression  he  did  not  explain, 
and  Jairus,  who  was  only  feigning  sleep,  could  not 

understand. 

It  was  not  yet  sunrise  when  Alec    Bryan  sum- 
moned the  two  men,  and  when  they  entered  the 


286 


j'lyo  yocvi;  patkiots. 


JTIj 


public   room   they  could   sec    their    liorscs   in    the 
dooryard,  bridled  and  waitiiiu;  for  them. 

"The  bird's  flown!"  said  Alec  abru|>tly. 

"'The  bird's  flown!'"  repented  Jeri'miah.  "I 
don't  know  as  I  just  catch  yer  meaning,  Alec 
Bryan." 

"  Oh,  nothing,  only  the  Panther's  got  away. 
Slipped  his  cords  and  started  out  in  the  night. 
How  he  did  it,  I  can't  tell ;  but  he's  gone ;  that's  all 
there  is  about  it.  You  can  see  for  yourself  if  you 
want  to." 

There  was  a  suspicion  in  Jairus's  mind  that  Alec 
could  have  told  more  if  he  had  wished  to,  but  he 
did  not  speak,  and  at  once  followed  the  men  into 
the  room  in  which  breakfast  was  waiting  for  them. 

Prudence  was  waiting,  too,  and  her  manner  was 
so  different  from  that  of  the  preceding  evening  that 
Jairus  at  once  felt  relieved  and  blamed  himself  for 
suspecting  that  she  had  made  light  of  his  valor. 

"  I  suppose,"  said  Jeremiah,  "that  the  fact  of  the 
Panther's  getting  out  won't  make  our  journey  any 
more  pleasant  than  it  would  have  been.  Probably 
he's  got  friends  about,  and  we  may  hear  from  him 
again." 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  Alec,  "  that  there  are  a  good 
many  Tories  and  Indians  prowlin'  round.  I  can't 
deny  that.  I  don't  know,  Prudy,  my  lass,  but  that 
I'd  better  keep  you  here.  The  danger's  niost  too 
great  for  you  to  start  out.  How  do  you  feel  about 
it,  yourself  .<* " 


mmmtmimmmmmm*^ 


A  NHiV   COM  r AX  I  ON. 


287 


»cs   in   the 

jmiah.    "  I 

ning,    Alec 

got  away, 
the  night. 
I ;  that's  all 
■self  if  you 

1  that  Alec 
to,  but  he 
I  men  into 
;  for  them, 
lanner  was 
vcning  that 
himself  for 
5  valor, 
fact  of  the 
ourney  any 
Probably 
r  from  him 

are  a  good 
id.  I  can't 
ss,  but  that 
's  niost  too 
1  feel  about 


"  I  want  to  go,"  said  Prudence  quietly.  "  I'm  not 
afraid  with  these  two  men.  Didn't  I  see  them  tie 
up  the  Panther  yesterday?  Besides,  Mistress 
Schuyler  is  waiting  for  me,  and  I  must  go." 

Jairus  flushed,  for  he  was  unable  to  tell  from  the 
girl's  manner  whether  she  was  speaking  lightly  or 
not.  Her  tones  were  serious  enough,  but  there  was 
a  sparkle  in  her  eyes  that  seemed  to  belie  her  words. 
"  Very  well,  have  it  your  own  way,"  replied  Alec. 
"  I  have  known  Jeremiah  for  years,  and  I'm  sure 
he'll  do  his  best  for  you;  and  I  think  this  young 
man  will,  too,"  he  added,  glancing  kindly  at  Jairus. 

"  Oh,  he'll  do  the  best  he  can,"  responded  Pru- 
dence mischievously.  "He'll  do  to  hold  the 
Panther's  feet,  if  he  comes  around  again,  while  Jere- 
miah  and  I  tic  up  his  hands.     Oh,  I'm  not  afraid." 

Alec    laughed   at   the    words,  but   as   Jeremiah 
plainly  showed  his   displeasure,  Prudence   quickly 
added :  "  Seriously,  I  am  afraid  to  go,  but  I'm  afraid 
to  stay,  too.     I'm  sure  these  men  are  both  brave, 
and  that  I  shall  be  safe  with  them.     At  any  rate, 
I'm  going  to  start  with  them  and  take  the  chance." 
"  There  is  a  good  deal  of  danger,"  said  Alec  seri- 
ously, "  but  I  shan't  oppose  you.    Now,  Jeremiah,"  he 
added,  turning  to  the  soldier,  "  remember  the  place 
I  was  telling  you  about.    The  folks  there  an;  straight, 
and  you  can  trust  'em  every  bit.     You'd  better  not 
go  beyond  there  to-day,  and  put  up   with  'em  Lll 

mornin'." 

Jeremiah  promised  to  follow  the  directions,  and 


288 


TIVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS 


in  a  few  moments  the  good  bys  were  spoken,  and  the 
'ittle  party  of  three  started  forth  on  their  perilous 
journey. 

For  a  long  time  no  one  of  them  spoke.  The 
knowledge  of  the  presence  of  Tories  and  Indians 
kept  them  alert,  and  the  final  warnings  of  Bryan 
were  not  soon,  nor  easily,  forgotten.  All  three  were 
well  mounted,  and  Jairus  marked  with  pleasure  the 
ease  and  confidence  with  which  Prudence  handled 
the  horse  she  was  riding. 

The  rough  roadway  led  through  long  stretches  of 
the  forest,  and  every  tree  they  passed  might  be  the 
hiding-place  of  some  enemy.  They  were  watchful, 
and  as  the  hours  passed  and  no  danger  thus  far  had 
been  discovered,  their  spirits  rose  somewhat,  and  it 
somehow  came  to  pass  that  Jairus  found  himself 
riding  by  the  side  of  Prudence,  while  Jeremiah  rode 
in  advance  and  kept  a  careful  lookout. 

What  the  subject  of  the  conversation  between  the 
two  was  is  not  known,  but  that  it  was  not  unpleas- 
ant could  be  readily  seen  by  the  change  which  had 
come  over  Jairus.  His  annoyance  had  entirely  dis- 
appeared, and  he  seemed  to  be  enjoying  himself 
thoroughly. 

It  was  only  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  when 
Jeremiah  reined  in  his  horse,  and  pointing  to  a  rude 
house  by  the  roadside  said :  "  This  is  the  place 
where  Alec  told  us  to  stop.  It  seems  to  me  too 
early,  but  I  guess  he  knew  what  he  was  talking 
about,  so  we'll  do  as  he  told  us  to.     Come  on ! " 


mmmmmtmm 


mtm 


iaMlH 


token,  iind  the 
their  perilous 

spoke.  The 
>  and  Indians 
ngs  of  Bryan 
'\11  three  were 
I  pleasure  the 
lence  handled 

»g  stretches  of 
might  be  the 
ivere  watchful, 
:r  thus  far  had 
newhat,  and  it 
found  himself 
Jeremiah  rode 

>n  between  the 
»  not  unpleas- 
ge  which  had 
id  entirely  dis- 
oying  himself 

fternoon  when 
iting  to  a  rude 
■>  is  the  place 
ms  to  me  too 
e  was  talking 
^ome  on ! " 


JAIRUS  FOuriD  H  MbELF  H;0i'.'3  B  f  THE  S'DE  O' 


t 


A  NEW   COMPANION. 


389 


The  three  then  turned  in  from  the  road  and  ap- 
proached the  house.  As  they  stopped,  Jairus  could 
hardly  trust  his  eyes  when  he  saw  standing  in  the 
doorway  his  own  cousin,  Arthur  Goodwin. 

His  confusion  was  increased  a  moment  later 
when  his  companion  exclaimed:  "Why,  Arthur 
Goodwin,  what  are  you  doing  here .?  " 

Arthur  looked  up  quickly  at  the  hail,  and  while 
he  evidently  was  pleased,  he  did  not  offer  to  advance. 
Somehow,  Jairus  found  his  dislike  of  his  cousin  sud- 
denly greatly  increased,  but  he  forgot  it  all,  when  a 
moment  later  he  obtained  a  glimpse  of  a  number  of 
men  in  the  house.  His  fear  grew  when  he  discov- 
ered that  at  least  two  or  three  of  them  were  clad 
in  the  British  uniform,  and  he  also  recognized  others 
as  having  been  among  the  Tories  whose  supplies  in 
the  ravine  he  had  aided  in  destroying. 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 


SAMUEL   GOES    ON    TIMOTHYS    EXPEDITION. 

Samuel  Goodwin  had  now  settled  into  the  routine 
of  the  camp  life  in  the  American  army,  which  lay 
stretched  along  the  western  bank  of  the  Hudson 
from  Stillwater  to  Half  Moon,  while  Burgoyne's 
forces  were  about  thirty  miles  higher  up,  on  the 
eastern  bank  extending  from  Fort  Edward  to  the 
Batten  Kill.  The  results  of  the  engagements  we 
already  have  described  had  greatly  increased  the 
spirit  of  the  Americans,  and  there  were  even  hopes 
expressed  of  being  able  to  check  the  advance  of 
John  Burgoyne. 

There  was,  however,  a  constant  feeling  of  uncer- 
tainty manifest,  and  the  lack  of  knowledge  of  what 
Clinton  and  Howe  were  doing  increased  the  uneasi- 
ness of  the  men.  Samuel's  life  was  like  that  of 
many  of  the  soldiers,  decidedly  unconventional,  for 
strict  military  discipline  was  almost  unknown.  He 
was  staying  most  of  the  time  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
army;  for  the  place  of  danger  and  responsibility 
\yas  largely  given  over  to  the  troops  which  already 
had  had  a  taste  of  war.     Still,  Samuel  was  free  to 

*90 


TION. 

the  routine 
,  which  lay 
le  Hudson 
Burgoyne's 
up,  on  the 
irard  to  the 
jements  we 
:reased  the 
even  hopes 
advance  of 

g  of  uncer- 
Ige  of  what 
the  uneasi- 
ike  that  of 
sntional,  for 
nown.  He 
ikirts  of  the 
isponsibility 
lich  already 
was  free  to 


SAMUEL    GOES  OS    TIMOTHY'S  EXTEniTlON.       2<)\ 

come  and  go  within  the  lines  much  as  he  chose, 
and  many  were  the  hours  he  spent  with  Timothy 
Murphy,  who  was  acknowledged  to  be  the  best  shot 
among  Daniel  Morgan's  dragoons,  which  was  saying 
a  good  deal  for  him ;  for  the  entire  band  had  gained 
a  great  reputation  with  their  rifles. 

The  words  "  Liberty  or  Death  "  which  he  had 
seen  inscribed  upon  the  fur-trimmed  hunting-shirt 
of  Timothy,  when  he  had  first  looked  down  upon 
him  from  his  hiding-place  in  the  tree  near  the  sheep- 
pen,  he  soon  found  was  not  peculiar  to  the  honest 
Irishman's  garb,  but  was  shared  by  all  the  band,  and 
seemed  to  attract  as  much  attention  and  admiration 
from  the  Continentals  as  it  had  from  Samuel.  As 
for  the  leader,  Daniel  Morgan,  the  "  Jarseyman  who 
had  gone  to  Varginia,"  as  Timothy  expressed  it, 
Samuel  entertained  the  mosi'  unbounded  admiration 
for  him.  His  powerful  body  and  bold  manners  were 
such  as  to  arouse  the  wonder  of  a  young  lad  like 
Samuel ;  and  indeed  throughout  the  army,  the  preju- 
dice which  had  been  manifested  against  the  band, 
composed  largely  as  it  was  of  Irishmen,  when  they 
had  first  joined  the  eastern  forces,  had  largely  .dis- 
appeared by  this  time,  and  the  true  worth  of  the 
men  was  recognized  and  respected  by  nearly  all. 

An  event  had  occurred,  however,  in  the  Ameri- 
can camp  that  promised  little  good.  Philip  Schuyler 
had  been  superseded  in  the  command  of  the  forces 
by  General  Gates.  Congress  had  at  last  yielded  to 
the  demands  of  Schuyler's  enemies,  and  believing 


I 
I 


292 


riP'O    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


that  the  feeling  on  the  part  of  the  soldiers,  especially 
of  the  New  England  men,  was  too  strong  against 
Schuyler  to  permit  of  a  successful  issue  of  the  cam- 
paign, they  had  given  the  command  to  General  Gates, 
a  weak  and  incompetent  man  in  almost  every  way. 

Time  has  vindicated  the  merits  of  Philip  Schuyler, 
but  the  change  was  a  sad  mistake  at  the  time,  and 
the  success  which  later  crowned  the  American 
cause  was  entirely  in  spite  of  Gates,  not  because  of 
anything  he  did.  However,  there  were  many  in 
the  camp  who  hailed  his  coming  with  delight, 
and  boasted,  that  now  something  worth  while 
would  be  done. 

The  pettiness  of  General  Gates  can  readily  be 
seen,  when  it  is  remembered  that  he  at  once  con- 
temptuously ignored  Schuyler,  and  did  not  even 
invite  him  to  the  council  of  the  officers  which  he 
speedily  called. 

He  also  ignored  Arnold,  and  had  it  not  been  for 
the  unbounded  faith  of  the  men  in  Arnold's  bravery 
and  ability,  it  might  have  fared  ill  with  General 
Gates  and  the  American  army.  As  it  was,  he 
reaped  the  harvest  others  sowed,  and  gained  the 
plaudits  others  deserved. 

His  disposition  and  actions  never  appeared  more 
petty  than  in  comparison  with  Philip  Schuyler's 
actions  at  the  time.  Without  a  murmur  or  com- 
plaint, Schuyler  did  all  that  lay' within  his  power  for 
his  successor,  and  then  in  quiet  dignity  withdrevy. 

"  Thot  Gates  is  nuthin'  more  nor  less  than  a  little 


,  especially 
ng  against 
of  the  cam- 
leral  Gates, 
;very  way. 
p  Schuyler, 
2  time,  and 
American 
because  of 
e  many  in 
th  delight, 
orth    while 

readily  be 
t  once  con- 
1  not  even 
•s  which  he 

lot  been  for 

(Id's  bravery 

ith   General 

it   was,   he 

gained   the 

peared  more 
>  Schuyler's 
nur  or  com- 
lis  power  for 
withdrew, 
than  a  little 


!;.4MVi:i  (;of.s  ox  timot/iy's  F.sri.nirioN.     20.^ 

dandy,  son/' said  rim..thy  Murphy  to  Sanuicl  one 
day  when  he  had  sought  out  the  hid.  "  Mark  mc 
words,  mc  lad,  we'll  all  of  us  see  the  day,  and  that 
soon,  whin  we'll  pine  for  a  sight  of  Phil  Schuyler's 
face,  as  Oi'm  after  doin'  for  a  squint  of  me  ould 
mother's  face,  who's  away  off  in  ould  Oireland,  bless 
the  sowls  of  the  two  of  thim  !  " 

"You're  not  going  to  leave  the  army,  are  you, 
Tim  ?  "  said  Samuel  quickly. 

»  Nivcr  a  bit.  Oi'm  after  stayin'  all  the  more  now. 
They'll  need  Dan'l  Morgan's  men  more  nor  iver 
now,  Oi'm  thinkin',  and  Timothy  Murphy's  not  the 
one  to  be  lavin'  when  the  fracas  has  just  begun. 
Indade,  Oi've  cum  for  yez,  me  lad,  jist  now,  to  take  a 
hand  in  a  bit  of  a  rumpus.  Will  yez  come  wid  me?" 
"  Where  ?  What  are  you  after  now,  Timothy  ?  " 
"That's  jist  like  the  Yankee  lad  that  ye  are," 
laughed  Timothy,  "  to  be  after  answerin'  me  ques- 
tion by  axin'  two  more  in  the  place  of  it.  But  I 
don't  mind  a  bit  tellin'  yez." 

And  Timothy  explained  at  once   the  project  in 

his  mind. 

It  seems,  that  the  region  adjoining  that  in 
which  the  army  lay  was  in  exceeding  peril  from 
bands  of  prowling  Indians  and  marauding  Tories. 
Many  of  the  latter  had  come  down  from  Canada  and 
were  striving  to  capture  unsuspecting  settlers  who 
had  not  joined  the  army,  and  carry  them  off  to 
Canada  and  thereby  claim  the  reward  which  Bur- 
goyne  had  offered  for  every  prisoner  taken. 


I 


I 


2')4 


77fY)    yO(fX(7  PATKfOTS. 


At  a  plato  onl)  a  few  miles  iK-yoiicI  the  lines  of 
the  army,  a  Whig,  by  ehance,  had  thought  he  had 
discovered  that  a  few  Tories  were  concealed  sonic* 
where  in  the  vicinity,  and  he  had  hurried  the  few 
families  there  into  the  rude  blockhouse,  which  every 
little  settlement  had  for  its  defence,  and  had  then  set 
off  for  the  American  camp. 

He  had  not  learned  the  hiding-place  of  the  suspected 
Tories,  and  indeed  was  not  positive  that  any  were 
in  the  vicinity ;  but  the  presence  and  question  of  a 
strange  lad,  "  as  to  where  he  might  be  able  to  obtain 
a  bottle  of  rum,"  had  at  once  aroused  the  suspicions 
of  the  ardent  Whig.  He  had  followed  the  lad  as  he 
left  the  settlement,  and  while  he  had  seen  enough 
to  warrant  him  in  the  belief  that  a  small  band  of 
Tories  was  in  the  vicinity,  he  had  not  considered 
it  safe  to  carry  his  investigations  too  far,  and,  in- 
deed, the  lad  had  at  last  doubled  on  his  tracks  and 
thrown  off  his  pursuer. 

The  Whig  had  then  come  to  the  camp,  and  as  a 
result;  Timothy  and  three  companions  were  to  go 
to  search  the  neighborhood.  As  a  special  favor,  the 
Irishman  had  obtained  permission  for  Samuel  to  go 
with  him ;  for  enjoying,  as  he  did,  anything  in  the 
nature  of  a  contest,  he  thought  that  the  lad,  for 
whom  he  had  conceived  a  strong  liking,  would  also 
be  glad  to  go.  The  project  was  dangerous,  but  of 
that  Timothy  never  thought,  and  when  Samuel 
accepted  the  somewhat  doubtful  invitation,  the 
rifleman  was  as  happy  as  a  boy. 


'* 


the  iinc's  of 
ight  he  had 
e.ilcfl  sonic- 
iccl  the  few 
which  every 
had  then  set 

he  suspected 
at  any  were 
luestion  of  a 
jle  to  obtain 
e  suspicions 
the  lad  as  he 
icen  enough 
nail  band  of 
t  considered 
far,  and,  in- 
i  tracks  and 

[Tip,  and  as  a 
were  to  go 
ial  favor,  the 
iamuel  to  go 
thing  in  the 
the  lad,  for 
;,  would  also 
jrous,  but  of 
hen  Samuel 
citation,  the 


fiAMVhi  iior.s  OX  /t.\   M    rs  FXt'i.-triiKV.     295 

Tfi*'  part  'f  five  ^  »n  K-ft  'he  canip.  and  in  Ihi- 
course  nf  •>  kw  hour^  .»•  rived  at  tht-  little  seltlcnKiit. 
The  VVl,  s,  had  co  ,c  with  them,  and  as  they  drew 
near  his  homo,  he  ^aid,  "  1  followed  the  lad  down 
to  the  big  clump  of  bushes  over  theic,"  and  he 
pointed,  as  he  spoke,  to  a  large  extent  of  swampy 
ground,  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  Inishes  and 
extending  over  many  acres. 

"They  may  be  gone  now,  sorr,"  said  Timothy. 
"  No,  they're  not  gone,"  rei)lied  the  man ;  "  for  if  any 
one  had  been  seen  to  leave  the  place,  then  a  white 
cloth  would  have  been  hung  out  of  the  windows  of 
my  house,  and  you  can  see  there's  no  sign  of  that,"  he 
added,  jiointing  towards  the  log  house  in  the  distance. 
The  soldiers  held  a  brief  consultation,  and  it  was 
soon  decided  that  the  best  plan  would  be  for  the 
Whi<r  to  return  to  his  house  and  leave  the  men  to 
make  their  own  investigations. 

The  man  at  once  departed,  and  as  soon  as  he  was 
gone,  Timothy,  who  was  the  acknowledged  leader, 
at  once  began  to  arrange  his  plans.  He  divided 
his  force  into  two  divisions,  one  consisting  of  him- 
self, Samuel,  and  another  soldier,  while  the  other 
two  men  were  to  act  separately. 

The  two  divisions  were  to  start  in  opposite  direc- 
tions from  the  same  spot  and  proceed  around  the 
nearly  circular  swamp  until  they  met,  when  they 
would  compare  experiences,  and  if  nothing  had  been 
discovered  by  either,  they  would  repeat  the  operation, 
going  a  little  farther  within  the  swamp. 


^  Tii'o  voiwo-  rATKiors. 

29" 

/'>''::';;::':^n       /t' 1-usLs,  and  th.  entire 
draw  neai  tin.  ccntic  , 

field  would  be  covered     /^'-'"'^ T^''^,  J'^^.j  („m 
in  case  of  the  need  ..f  help,  a,     tl  en^  ^^^^^^ 

"^T"'^  UdtTifT      r   ::nnint  =>  <os  '»  cover, 
Samuel  felt  as  .t  nt  ^^^.^ 

fi^nvP      But  the  probability  was  so  strong  u 
h      arty  "were  eager  for  the  -arch  to  be  „ade 

-ri  f j.X:^u^a^rnrdo7ol^  to 

cealed,  and  all  '"«>  "     ,„„,„,chinc  men,  without 
shoot  down   upon  the  approacning 

being  di*™-'^^"' "^^"f '7s,„„el  found  that  his 
As  the  search  went  ''^'  ~'    ^^  ,^„  com- 

.larm  was  -"--f '  ^  ^j:rsht  ng  in  the  in- 
pan.ons  showed  that  *he)'  "  ^ed  cautio.r.ly 

creasing  exc,  em  n  .   ^^^^^.^^^  ,^,  g„„nd 
the  clumps  of  b"^'"' i^S^' Y  ^^^j^„         )„,<, 

for  signs  of  a  path.     Ihey  V^^^'-  '         jer 

the  trees  as  they  drew  near  them,  b"*  '^e  o 
circuit  was  completed,  and  no  s.gns  of  the  Tor.es 

had  been  dlsco<ered.  .„terinc  farther 

Airain  they  began  the  search,  entermg  la 
Again  iiitj      s  ™ssaffe  was  more  dith- 

:rnotarihou?%ra-e  was  not  so 


;ra(lu.iUy 
\e  entire 
ed  upon 
orcl  from 
ir  search. 

to  cover, 
far  more 

constant 
the  exact 
men  were 
g  that  all 
made, 
he  feet  of 
places,  and 
rht  be  con- 
ould  be  to 
;n,  without 

id  that  his 
i  two  com- 
r  in  the  in- 
1  cautiously 
the  ground 
tully  up  into 
it  the  outer 
;  the  Tories 

jring  farther 

5  more  diffi- 

was  not  so 


s.iA/r/:/  <;o/-s  o\  riMorifY's  ExrF.nmos 


grc.it  nuHV  time  was  onsumal  in  conipKtin.i;  the 
circuit.  The  men  were  showing  signs  of  fatigue, 
as  well  as  of  fear  and  anxiety,  when  at  last  they 
came  together  and  reported  that  none  had  dis- 
covered any  hiding-place. 

The  sun  was  low  now,  and  darkness  would  soon 
be  at  hand.  The  peril  would  then  be  greatly  m- 
creased ;  for  if  a  lurking  enemy  should  discover 
them,  every  advantage  would  be  on  his  side,  and 
the  searching  party  would  not  be  able  even  to  make 
a  stand  in  the  darkness.  ,.    ,    ,    .u 

It  was  finally  decided  to  penetrate  a  little  farther, 
and  make  the  circuit  once  more;  and  then,  in  case 
of  failure  to  discover  any  signs  of  the  Tones,  to 
decide  upon  their  future  course  of  action. 

The  dusk  had  settled  into  the  gloom  when  at 
last  the  men  came  together  again  and  still  reported 
their  failure.  They  were  worn  by  their  exertions, 
bespattered  with  mud,  and  were  almost  hopeless  of 

succeeding  now.  ,      i         *u« 

A  whispered  consultation  then  took  place,  the 
result  of  which  was  that  they  decided  to  reniam 
where  they  were  for  the  night,  and  resume  their 
search  in  the  early  morning  light.  Two  of  the  men 
were  for  abandoning  it  then  and  there,  claiming  that 
it  all  was  as  hopeless  as  it  was  useless ;  but  Timo- 
thy's insistence  at  last  prevailed,  and  the  men  again 
separated,  one  division  to  pass  the  night  oa  one 
side  of  the  swamp,  and  the  other  on  the  farther 
side. 


298 


TIFO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


Dry  pl.ucs  were  readily  found,  and  when  Samuel 
at  last  threw  himself  upon  the  ground,  he  was  so  tired 
that  in  spite  of  his  anxiety  he  was  soon  asleep.  For 
a  few  moments  he  had  thought  of  his  mother  and 
brother,  and  the  far-away  home  in  the  clearing. 
What  a  change  had  come  within  a  few  weeks,  and 
how  different  it  all  was  from  the  peaceful  life  of  a 
few  months  back !  Then,  their  worst  enemies  had 
been  the  wolves  and  panthers  of  the  forest,  but  now 
the  wild  beasts  seemed  merciful  in  contrast  with  the 
horrors  of  war.  His  home  was  burned,  his  mother 
had  disappeared  and  perhaps  had  been  slain,  while 
the  whereabouts  of  his  brother  Jairus  formed  an- 
other almost  inscrutable  mystery.  As  the  lad  looked 
up  at  the  stars,  which  he  could  see  twinkling  in  the 
sky  overhead,  his  thoughts  were  hard  and  bitter. 
The  peril  of  his  own  situation  was  almost  forgotten 
in  his  anxiety  for  his  mother  and  brother,  but  he 
was  far  too  weary  even  to  retain  such  thoughts  long, 
and  was  soon  asleep. 

He  was  awakened  by  Timothy,  who  had  remained 
on  guard  all  through  the  night.  It  was  not  yet  fairly 
light,  and,  as  Samuel  sat  upright,  at  first  he  could 
hardly  realize  where  he  was.  As  soon  as  he  heard 
Timothy's  voice,  however,  it  all  came  back. 

"  We'll  be  after  startin'  at  once,  me  boy ;  for  we 
want  to  get  out  of  this,  and  have  some  breakfast. 
Now  if  you're  awake,  we'll  begin." 

In  a  moment  Samuel  was  ready,  and  the  search 
was  resumed.     They  had  not  advanced  many  rods, 


iliMiit^-.iiiii.<i.:' 


SAMUF.I.    GOES  ON   TIMOTIIY'S  RXrF.DITIOX.       299 


>en  Samuel 
A'as  so  tired 
sleep.  For 
nothcr  and 
e  clearing, 
weeks,  and 
ul  life  of  a 
nemies  had 
st,  but  now 
ist  with  the 
his  mother 
slain,  while 
formed  an- 
2  lad  looked 
ding  in  the 
and  bitter, 
st  forgotten 
her,  but  he 
)ughts  long, 

ad  remained 
lot  yet  fairly 
st  he  could 
IS  he  heard 

LCk. 

boy ;  for  we 
e  breakfast. 

[  the  search 
many  rods. 


however,  before  the  lad's  attention  was  directed 
towards  tliree  logs,  so  arranged  as  to  block  the 
progress  of  any  one  who  should  try  to  enter  what 
certainly  looked  like  a  path. 

Touching  Timothy  upon  the  shoulder,  for  the 
Irishman  was  near  him  at  the  time,  Samuel  silently 
pointed  at  his  discovery.  Timothy's  eyes  glistened 
at  the  sight,  and  nodding  his  head,  indicated  that 
Samuel  should  approach  and  see  what  lay  beyond. 

Accordingly,  the  lad  slowly  and  cautiously  entered 
the  path,  and  approaching  the  upright  logs  climbed 
upon  them.  He  almost  lost  his  balance  and  fell 
backward  at  the  sight  which  met  his  eyes. 

Seated  in  a  semicircle  upon  the  ground  before  him 
were  five  rough-appearing  men,  who  were  watching 
their  two  companions  as  they  prepared  to  start  a 
fire  by  which  to  cook  their  breakfast.  A  hasty 
glance  showed  the  startled  lad  that  the  men  were 
dressing.  Their  clothing  was  much  worn,  but  still 
betrayed  the  British  uniform.  Their  caps  were 
drawn  upon  their  heads,  as  the  regulars  wore  them, 
and  within  easy  grasp  of  each  man  lay  his  gun. 

Samuel  took  all  this  in  at  a  glance ;  and  then,  almost 
too  frightened  to  realize  what  he  was  doing,  slowly 
drew  back  without  being  discovered.  His  pale  face 
at  once  revealed  to  Timothy  that  something  of  a 
startling  nature  had  been  discovered,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment the  two  men  were  by  the  side  of  the  lad,  lis- 
tening to  the  few  words  of  explanation  he  whispered 
to  them. 


,< 


! 

t 


vAmmmmamtmmmm,'*- 


300 


rii^o  YOVNG  PAT  HI  or &. 


"Sivin.  is  it?"  whispered  Timothy.  "Thin  be 
jabbers,  me  name's  not  Timothy  Murphy,  if  we 
don't  lake  thim.  ivery  one  of  thim." 

His  companions  looked  at  him  in  consternation. 
Surely,  he  would  not  attempt  to  take  seven  desper- 
ate men  with  only  three.  Surely,  he  wou  d  at  least 
wait  for  their  two  companions  to  join  them  In- 
deed, to  Samuel,  the  only  safe  course  seemed  to  be 
to  withdraw  quietly,  and  at  once. 

"  Now  yez  do  jist  as  Oi'm  after  tellin  yez.  whis- 
pered  Timothy,  looking  carefully  to  the  priming  of 
his  gun.  "  Come  on  now,  and  the  whole  of  yez  do 
list  as  Oi'm  after  doin'  meself." 

With  trembling  hearts,  and  hands  that  trembled 
far  more  than  their  hearts,  Timothy  s  i^o  compan- 
ions followed  his  example,  looked  carefully  to  their 
priming,  and  then  slowly  and  cautiously  approached 

the  logs.  ,       ^, 

Timothy's  quick  eyes  at  once  saw  that  there  was 
standing-room  on  each  side,  and  motioning  to  his 
companions  for  one  to  take  his  stand  on  one  side, 
and  the  other  on  the  other,  prepared  to  mount  the 

logs  himself.  ,•  u  j   ««j 

In  a  moment  this  had  been  accomplished,  and 
the  three  men  stood  in  plain  sight  of  the  little  camp. 
They  drew  their  guns  to  their  shoulders  as  Timothy 
directed,  and  then,  satisfied  that  as  yet  their  pres- 
ence had  not  been  discovered,  the  bold  Irishman,  in 
a  voice  which  might  have  been  heard  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  away,  called  upon  the  band  to  surrender. 


"  Thin,  be 
phy,  if  we 

isternation. 
vcn  desper- 
uld  at  least 
them.  In- 
emed  to  be 

'  yez,"  whis- 
;  priming  of 
le  of  yez  do 

lat  trembled 
wo  compan- 
uUy  to  their 
r  approached 

at  there  was 
oning  to  his 
on  one  side, 

0  mount  the 

iplished,  and 
le  little  camp, 
•s  as  Timothy 
et  their  pres- 

1  Irishman,  in 
a  quarter  of  a 
rrender. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE   "  irishman's    GUN." 

The  five  men  in  the  group  were  as  •rio'i^"!^**  »^ 
if  they  had  been  turned  into  stone.  They  looked 
at  the  Runs  which  were  pointed  towards  them,  and 
as  if  ficinated  by  the  sight,  not  one  turned  away 

"*' Vhrastonishment  which  was  manifest  when  the 
startling  summons  to  surrender  had  been  g.ven 
soon  gave  place  to  a  look  of  consternahon  and 
a°arm  No  one  spoke,  and  Samuel  could  not 
determine  who  were  the  more  badly  frightened- 
the  Tories  or  himself.  Timothy  Murphy  and  his 
other  companion  seemed  to  be  as  cool  and  uncon- 
cerned as  if  summoning  a  party  of  Tones  tw.ce  as 
large  as  their  own  company,  was  a  matter  of  every- 

dav  occurrence.  . t     c    »  ..„ 

The  leader  of  the  Tory  band  was  the  first  to 
recover  his  senses,  and,  without  turmng  his  eyes 
away  from  Timothy,  he  slowly  stretched  forth  his 
hand  to  grasp  his  gun,  which  was  on  the  ground 
near  him'  Something  which  he  saw  ,n  the  lu^ 
man's  eyes  caused  him  to  desist,  but,  unable  to  re- 

301 


302 


riyo    YOl'NG  PATKIOTS. 


Strain  himself,  again  he  reached  forth  to  take  his 

gun. 

"  None  o'  that,  me  lad ! "  said  Timothy.  "  Ye'll 
be  a  dead  mon  when  ye  hold  that  gun  agin,"  he 
added,  with  a  true  Irishman's  tendency  to  make 
a  bull.  "  Now  thin,,  come  out  o'  that !  Come 
over  these  logs  one  at  a  time,  and  we'll  make  no 
trouble  for  yez;  but  as  sure's  me  name's  Timothy 
Murphy,  the  first  one  to  reach  for  a  gun,  or  who 
disobeys  me  orders,  will  get  a  dose  o'  me  lead.  Now 
thin,  step  lively,  me  lads!  One  at  a  time,  as  Oi'm 
tellin'  yez.  You'll  be  after  bein'  the  furst  one,"  he 
added,  nodding  his  head  at  the  Tory  nearest  him. 

There  was  no  hesitation  now.  They  thought 
they  were  surrounded  by  enemies,  and  their  only 
hope  lay  in  prompt  obedience.  Accordingly,  the 
man  whom  Timothy  had  indicated,  after  giving  one 
hasty  gl  ..ice  about  him,  clambered  over  the  logs. 

Timothy  and  Samuel  kept  their  guns  still  aimed 
at  the  band,  but  their  companion,  who  was  a  power- 
ful man,  quickly  bound  the  prisoner's  hands  behind 
him  with  light  thongs  of  deer's  hide  which  he  had 
brought  with  him. 

One  after  another  the  men  obeyed  the  summons 
and  were  bound,  the  leader  coming  last  of  all. 

"  Now  thin,  before  we  return,  we'll  be  after  havin* 
a  look  at  the  camp  o'  the  traitors,"  said  Timothy, 
entering  quickly  within  the  enclosure. 

The  stout-hearted  leader  was  seen  to  return  as 
hastily  as  he  had  entered,  and  with  a  look  of  alarm 


THE  "IKtSUM.hV'S  gun:' 


303 


>  take  his 

yr.     "Ye'll 
agin,"  he 
to  make 
!     Come 
make  no 
Timothy 
n,  or  who 
jad.    Now 
2,  as  Oi'm 
t  one,"  he 
est  him. 
\f  thought 
their  only 
lingly,  the 
giving  one 
he  logs, 
still  aimed 
IS  a  power- 
ids  behind 
ich  he  had 

:  summons 
I  all. 

ifter  havin* 
I  Timothy, 

>  return  as 
)k  of  alarm 


upon  his  face  which  startled  his  companions. 
"  Women,  be  jabbers !  Female  women  !  "  shouted 
the  excited  man  as  if  he  were  pursued  by  enemies. 

Pursuit  there  was,  but  it  was  by  the  weeping,  ter- 
ror-stricken women,  who  followed  Timothy,  and  with 
many  tears  and  sobs  began  to  beseech  the  captors 
to  spare  the  lives  of  their  prisoners.     It  boon  ap- 
peared that  they  were  the  sisters  of  the  unfortunate 
men,   and   well   aware  of    the   terrible  vengeance 
which  had  been  inflicted   upon   Tories  and  spies 
since  the  death  of  Jane  M'Crea,  they  were  fearful 
that  their  brothers  might  then  and  there  suffer  the 
penalty  of  their  crimes. 

"  Oh,  spare  them,  spare  them!"  cried  one  of  the 
women,  breaking  into  a  flood   of   tears.      "  They 
haven't  done  any  harm.     They're  not  spies.     You 
took  them  when  they  were  armed,  and  so  they  can't 
be  spies,   anyway.     Oh,  spare  them,  spare  them! 
Think  of  your  own   mothers  and  sisters!    Think 
how  they  would  feel  if  they  were  standing  where 
we  are  !    Oh,  spare  them  !    We  beg  of  you  to  spare 
them ! "  and  in  the  agony  of  her  grief  the  youngest 
of  the  women  threw  herself  upon  the  ground,  and 
tried  to  clasp  Timothy's  knees. 

Timothy  was  not  unmoved  by  the  sight  of  her 
grief,  and  said  not  unkindly:  "  We're  not  goin'  for 
to  hang  'em  now,  though  Oi  doubt  not  they  desarve 
it  richly.  They  can't  be  soldiers,  for  if  they  had 
been  they  wouldn  t  all  sivin  o'  'em  surrendered  with- 
out ever  firin'  a  gun,  or  givin'  a  blow.     No,  ma'am, 


!il.!:! 

ii:i 


304 


TtyO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


they're  not  soldiers,  that's  plain  as  the  nose  on  yer 
face,— Oi  mean  yer  nose  on  my  face,—  no,  Oi  mean 
me  nose  on  your  face, -no,  be  jabbers,  beggm  yer 
pardon,  ma'am,  Oi'm  after  meanin'  me  own  nose  on 
me  own  face ;  that's  it,  bedad  !     But  Oi  11  give  em 
a  chance  to  tell  who  they  are  thimselves     and  he 
glanced  questioningly  at  the  prisoners  as  he  spoke. 
"  We're  from  Canada.    We  came  down  to  kid- 
nap  some  of   the   Whigs.    We're   not  spies.     We 
haven't  done  any  harm,"  said  the  youngest  of  the 
prisoners  quickly,  ignoring  the  glances  of  anger  and 
contempt  bestowed  upon  him  by  his  four  compan- 
ions in  misery.  ,.    ,  t-      .u„ 
"  Oi'm  list  sure  o'  that,  me  boy,"  replied  Timothy. 
"  Ye  haven't  done  any  harm  yit,  and  Oi  don't  think 
ve  iver  will.     But  Oi'm  a  bit  puzzled  to  know  what 
to  do  with  these  women.    Oi  wasn't  after  thinkin 
Oi'd  bag  that  kind  o'  game.    Oi'm  ready  to  belave 
that  these  traitors  were  after  tryin'  to  kidnap  some 
o'  our  good  men,  for  Oi'm  hearin'  o'  such  deeds 
every  day  now.    We'll  let  these  chaps  tell  their 
own  story  to  them  as  knows  better  nor  Oi  what  to 
do  wid  'em.     But  what  about  these  women  ? 

"  Oh,  leave  us  here!  we  can  go  home  ourselves! 
If  you'll  only  save  our  brothers,  we  won't  ask  any- 
thing for  ourselves.  Oh,  spare  them !  Don't  hang 
them'  We  know  our  way  out  of  the  swamp,  and 
will  go  right  back  where  we  came  from  this  nriorn- 
ing  Only  spare  our  brothers  ;  that's  all  we  ask ! 
"  Be  jabbers,  thin,  we'll  have  to  lave  the  ladies  and 


THE  "IRISHMAN'S  GUN." 


305 


lose  on  yer 
o,  Oi  mean 
beggin'  yer 
vn  nose  on 
11  give  'em 
;s,"  and  he 
s  he  spoke, 
(wn  to  kid- 
spies.     We 
gest  of  the 
•f  anger  and 
ur  compan- 

;d  Timothy. 

don't  think 

know  what 

[ter  thinkin' 

dy  to  belave 

ddnap  some 

such  deeds 

DS  tell  their 

r  Oi  what  to 

le  ourselves! 
»n't  ask  any- 
Don't  hang 
swamp,  and 
n  this  morn- 
ill  we  ask !  " 
[he  ladies  and 


go  back  to  camp  with  the  game  we've  got.     Now 
thin,  form  in  loine,  there !     Be  after  startin',  right 
smart !     Good  day  to  yez,  ladies,"  he  added,  turning 
and  bowing  low  to  the  sisters  of  the  unfortunate  men. 
In  a  brief  time  the  little  party   left  the  swamp, 
and  the  five  prisoners,  crestfallen  and  chagrined  to 
have  been  captured  in  such  a  manner,  went  with 
them,  each  with  his  hands  bound  behind  his  back. 
All  save  the  young  man  who  had  revealed  the  pur- 
pose of  their  work  still  kept  up  a  bold  appearance, 
declaring  that  they  were  not  spies,  and  could  be 
treated  only  as  prisoners  of  war. 

Timothy,  as  well  as  the  men,  were  well  aware  of 
the  state  of  the  feeling  in  the  region.  Tories  and 
Whigs  alike  were  daily  becoming  more  excited,  and 
the  feeling  was  manifesting  itself  in  a  manner  not 
highly  creditable  to  either  side.  Houses  of  the 
suspected  men  were  burned,  their  property  confis- 
cated, and  their  lives,  in  many  instances,  taken  with- 
out the  formality  of  a  trial.  The  horrors  of  war  were 
abroad  in  the  region,  and  neighbor  had  turned 
against  neighbor,  and  friend  against  friend. 

Not  much  was  said  on  the  return  march.  Timothy 
called  a  halt,  and  secured  breakfast  for  them  all,  and 
then  the  march  was  quickly  resumed.  Rescuing 
parties  might  be  abroad  in  the  land,  and  the  men 
upon  whom  they  could  depend  were  not  numerous. 

It  was  near  night  when  they  entered  within  the 
American  lines,  and  the  five  prisoners  were  placed 
for  safety  in  a  room  together. 


306 


TiyO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


When  Samuel  Goodwin  wrapped  himself  in  his 
blanket  that  night,  it  was  long  before  sleep  came 
to  him.  The  exciting  events  of  the  march  and  the 
capture  kept  running  through  his  mind,  and  he  was 
again  thinking  of  his  mother  and  Jairus.  Where 
could  they  be  ?  Not  a  word  had  been  heard  from 
either,  and  the  troubled  lad  thought  long  and  hard 
over  the  problem.  But  no  solution  had  been  found 
when   at  last  his   eyelids   became   heavy,  and   he 

slept. 

The  following  morning,  when  he  returned  to  the 
house  in  which  the  prisoners  had  been  confined,  he 
witnessed  a  strange  sight.  A  number  of  the  Con- 
tinental soldiers  had  assembled  before  the  place, 
and  it  was  at  once  evident  to  Samuel  that  some- 
thing unusual  had  occurred.  He  soon  discovered 
Timothy  in  the  assembly,  and  to  him  the  troubled 

lad  went. 

"  What  is  it,  Timothy  ?  What's  the  meaning  of 
this  crowd  ?     Have  the  prisoners  escaped  ? " 

"  Indade,  and  that  they  haye  not.  There's  more 
o'  'em  than  there  was  last  night." 

"  More  of  them  ?  I  don't  understand  you.    What 

do  you  mean  ? " 

"  Jist  what  Oi'm  tellin'  yez.  There  was  sivin  last 
night,  wasn't  there  ?  Well,  now  there's  tin.  That's 
more'n  sivin,  isn't  it?  Well,  thin,  there's  more'n 
there  was  last  night,  as  Oi'm  after  sayin'." 

"  But  I  don't  understand.  How  came  there  to 
be  more  ?     Who  are  they  ?     Where  did  they  come 


THE  "IRISHMAN'S  GUN." 


307 


self  in  his 
leep  came 
:h  and  the 
ind  he  was 
5.  Where 
leard  from 
;  and  hard 
been  found 
'y,  and   he 

rned  to  the 
onfined,  he 
3f  the  Con- 
the  place, 
that  some- 
discovered 
he  troubled 

meaning  of 
d?" 
here's  more 

you.    What 

ras  sivin  last 
tin.  That's 
ere's  more'n 
yui . 

mc  there  to 
d  they  come 


from.;*      What   are   they?     How   did    they   come? 
Why  were  they  put  in  with  the  others?" 

"  Jist  hear  the  lad,  will  yez  ? "  said  Timothy  with 
a  laugh.  "  Did  any  one  iver  see  the  loikes  o'  him  ? 
He  can  ask  more  questions  than  all  the  sisters  o' 
them  Tories  we  brought  into  camp  last  night. 
His  tongue  runs  loike  a  mill-tail,  that  it  does." 

"  But  I  wish  you'd  tell  me,  Timothy,"  persisted 
Samuel,  somewhat  abashed  by  the  Irishman's  good- 
natured  laugh.  "  I  don't  understand  why  there's 
such  a  crowd  here.  There  must  be  thirty  of  our 
men,  and  they're  acting  as  if  they  were  excited,  too, 
about  something.  And  how  came  there  to  be  more 
prisoners  in  the  morning  than  there  were  in  the  even- 
ing when  we  left  them  ? " 

"  Nothin's  more  easy  than  that,"  replied  Timothy. 
"  It's  jist  that  another  batch  o'  our  men  brought  an- 
other parcel  of  these  thievin'  Canadian  Tories,  who 
were  prowlin'  round  tryin'  to  kidnap  some  o'  our 
folks.  Oi  understand  they  even  had  designs  on  Phil 
Schuyler  himself." 

"  But  I  don't  understand  yet.  What's  the  excite- 
ment here?.  What  are  our  men  so  excited  about? 
There  must  be  thirty,  at  least,  here  now." 

"  The  plain  fact  o'  the  case  is,"  replied  Timothy, 
"  that  the  prisoners  were  all  shut  up  together  in  the 
one  room.  There's  no  harm  in  that,  as  I  knows, 
but  ye  see  they're  not  alone  in  there." 

"  Not  alone  ?     Who's  vith  them  ? " 
"  Powder." 


3o8 


TWO   YOUNG  PATKIOTS. 


"I'owdcr?  Uo  you  mean  they're  armed  We 
took  the  guns  away  from  our  prisoners  I  know. 
..  So  we  did.  Its  not  the  gu,«,  mc  lad,  .t  s  ,,  t  the 
powder,  a»  Oi'm  after  telUn'  ye.  Some  chuckle^eadtd 
fdiots  lad  gone  and  stored  the  powder  „,  the  very 
com  where  we  put  our  prisoners.  b=«l  ces  «.  m. 
That's  the  mischief  o'  it.  We  ean  handle  the  pris- 
oners, but  not  the  powder." 

"But  they  haven't  .any  guns.  The  powder  won t 
do  them  any  good  without  them,  wdl  .t  ? 

"  It  may  do  them  some  harm,  and  it  may  harm 
us  too.  be  jabbers !  The  traitot^  have  go»'^;"d  h,'° 
1  train  right  up  to  the  door  o'  the  room,  and  they  re 
!l"tLt  they'll  fire  it,  and  blow  them,  and    he 

bli^ldin',  and  us,  111  to  «-<>-.  «-.'^y°Xe"dlor 
door.    Ye  see,  they've  gone  and  barncaded  the  door 
with  a  beam  they  found  inside  the  room,  and  what 
They're  a  sayin'  is  that  rather  than  be  taken  out  and 
hung  like  gintler-en  and  Christians,  .as  they  ought 
to  b^e  glad^o'  the  honor,  bad  'eess  to  'em,  sez  O . 
why,  they'll   take  their  ehanees  together   and  a^l 
go  up  to  the  sky  to  onet,  as  it  were;  and  then,  too 
fhey  think  mebbe  they  won't  have  to  go  alone,  .f  so 
be  that  some  of  us  are  after  tryin'  to  open  the  door 
Now  ye  see  the  cause  o'  all  this  ^''^-'^.■"'^"^  ^°."J 
ye,  me  lad  ?     If  yez  don't  see  .t,  why,  thm  al  O.  ve 
got  to  say  is,  that  it  isn't  Timothy  Murphy  s  fault, 

be  iabbers ! "  .       .      .  -.^ 

L  a  moment  Samuel  was  sharmg  u.  the  exe  e- 
ment  of  the  group,  .and  as  Timothy  now  loft  hun. 


THE  "imsilMAN'H   GVNr 


W) 


eel  ?     Wc 

1  know." 
t's  jist  the 
dc -headed 
II  the  very 
L'ss  to  'em. 
i  the  pris- 

ivder  won't 

may  harm 
ne  and  laid 
and  they're 
m, and  the 
to  open  the 
ed  the  door 
(1,  and  what 
ten  out  and 

they  ought 
em,  sez  Oi, 
ler,  and  all 
d  then,  too, 
I.  alone,  if  so 
en  the  door, 
ement,  don't 
lin,  all  Oi've 
irphy's  fault, 

n  the  excite- 
low  left  him, 


Ik-,  t..o.  joined  the  olhrrs.  The  men  ..iilMcIc  were 
calliun  to  those  within  to  give  up  peacefully,  but 
they  were  met  by  the  response,  as  Timothy  had 
explained,  that  rather  than  take  their  chances  of 
being  hanged,  they  would  set  fire  to  the  train  of 
powder,  and  destroy  themselves,  and  the  soldiers 
who  should  dare  to  approach,  as  well. 

"  It  isn't  the  traitors  we're  after  mindin'  so  much, 
Samuel  heard   Timothy  explain,   "it's  the  powder 
we  don't  want  to  be  losin',  me  frinds."     The  sol- 
diers, however,   were   too  highly  excited  to   heed 
the  Irishman's  jokes,  and  the  parley  continued. 

Samuel  easily  recognized  the  voice  of  the  leader 
of  the  seven  Tories  he  himsclt  had  assisted  in  capt- 
uring, and  he  was  positive  from  what  he  had  seen 
of  htm  that  his  threat  was  no  idle  one.  The  door 
was  strongly  barricaded  from  within,  and  an  at- 
tempt to  break  it  down,  he  little  doubted,  would  be 
followed  by  the  threatened  explosion. 

The  soldiers  now  withdrew  for  a  brief  consulta- 
tion. There  were  two  rooms  on  the  first  floor  of 
the  house,  and  above  them  was  an  unfinished  cham- 
ber. This  situation  was  discovered  by  the  man  who 
had  been  on  guard  during  the  night,  and  was  readily 
perceived  by  them  all. 

The  consultation  was  prolonged  for  half  an  hour, 
and  no  light  seemed  to  appear  upon  the  situation. 
The  Tories  had  the  advantage,  and,  as  they  were 
well  known  to  be  desperate  men,  it  was  no  enviable 
task,  that  of  approaching  and  attempting  to  batter 


. 


Sio 


TWO  vol'^'('  r.iTH/ors. 


,„.n  n...  .1 "f  nu.  r,„,n,  in  which  .he  prisoucs 

"M;i:rU,n...n.WsaiaTin,.,%«« 

at  la»..  "Give  n.c  an  Irishnuns  ««»  »"<} /J'  ';2 
sittk  the  questi.m  for  ye/..  Indadf,  and  tw.ll  make 
me  thinl<  Oim  back  in  ould  Oireland  once  more. 
Si  wan.  a  good  do.en  of  ye.  to  stand  beh.nd  me. 

and  be  ready  to  follow  me  up.  irishman's 

rimothy  secured  a  strong  club,  the  Irishman  s 
.un'  he  had  mentioned,  and  then  entered  the  unoc- 
f.  "ed  oom  of  the  house,  and  silently  ">=«le  his  way 
to  the  empty  chamber,  followed  by  several  of  h.s 

'TC^b^n  learned  that  there  was  a  trap  door  in 
the  ceihng  of  the  room  in  which  the  P"^'"^^,,'!?; 
I'd  throu'gh  this  Timothy  planned  to  drop  suddenly 
down  into  the  midst  of  h,s  foes,  and  then  make  use 
o?  his  "  Irishman's  gun."     Samuel,  m  sp.te  of  his 

Ir  was  among  the  number  of  those  who  fo  lowed 
tear,  was  aiuo  j,  ^^^j    ^^^ 

the  daring  man;  and,  as  ne  crepi  u       .„^'  „j 

ctutiously,  his  excitement  each  moment  •ncre'sed. 

xTrlotV^one,  of  all  the  "-'-^,='Pf-tt Umpt 
calm,  but  they  all  realised  the  peril  of  the  attempt 

'''1irthyt::'rtnding  by  the  trap  door. 
He  plsed  a  moment  and  glanced  back  at  h.s  com- 
panions to  see  that  they  were  still  ready  ^  '» How 
'^Apparently  satisfied  by  his  inspection,  he  leaned 
low  ^nd  gmsped  the  leather  strap  by  which  the  door 
l^  Ufted.    Then,  with  one  strong,  quick  pull  he 


THE  '^ IRISHMAN'S  GUN." 


3H 


;  prisoners 

excitedly, 
1  Oi'll  soon 
twill  make 
once  more, 
behind  me, 

'  Irishman's 
d  the  unoc- 
ade  his  way 
/eral  of  his 

trap  door  in 
soners  were, 
op  suddenly 
en  make  use 
spite  of  his 
vho  followed 
\  slowly  and 
nt  increased, 
peared  to  be 
[  the  attempt 

le  trap  door. 
:k  at  his  com- 
ly  to  follow, 
ion,  he  leaned 
rhich  the  door 
quick  pull  he 


drew  it  back,  and,  with  a  yell,  which  he  afte-wards 
declared  he  learned  fn.m  a  "  wild  Irishman,  he 
dropped  suddenly  down  into  the  very  mulsl  of  the 
prisoners,  and  began  to  lay  about  him  with  his  c  ub. 
"  Oh,  ye  will,  will  ye/.  ?  Take  that,  thin,  and  that, 
too!  And  Oi'll  give  yez  this,  too,  jist  to  remember 
Tim  Murphy  by.     Come  on,  me  boys!     Come  on 

now,  will  yez?" 

Timothy  was  struggling  bravely  and,  tor  a  nnio- 
ment,  held  the  prisoners  back  while  he  swung  his 
heavy  club  and  felled  more  than  one  of  their  num- 
ber In  a  moment,  however,  they  recovered  and 
rushed  upon  him.  and  it  would  have  fared  ill  with 
the  brave  man  had  not  his  companions  come  to  his 

assistance. 

One  after  another  quickly  dropped  through  the 
open  place,  Samuel  Goodwin  among  them,  and  the 
room  was  soon  filled  with  a  struggling,  howling 
mass  of  humanity.  Blows  were  delivered  on  every 
side,  but  the  advantage  was  all  on  one  side,  and 
almost  before  any  one  realized  that  the  struggle 
was  ended,  some  one  had  knocked  the  prop  from 
the  door  and  the  prisoners  were  all  secured. 

Samuel  had  grasped  one  of  the  men  in  the  struggle, 
and  was  holding  to  him  desperately.  He  quickly 
found  ihat  he  was  the  stronger  of  the  two,  and  soon 
was  holding  his  antagonist  powerless  In  his  grasp. 
His  surprise,  however,  was  great  when  the  door  was 
flung  open  and  he  found  that  the  prisoner  he  was 
holding  was  his  own  cousin,  Arthur  Goodwin. 


I  a* 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

A   PARTING. 

The  confusion  of  Jairus  when  he  recognized  his 
cousin,  and  also  some  of  the  Tories  whose  stores  he 
had  assisted  in  destroying  only  a  few  days  before, 
soon  gave  way  to  alarm.     It  was  true   that   Alec 
Bryan  had  directed  him  and  his  companions  to  seek 
shelter  in  this  very  house,  but  the  danger  was  some- 
thing  no  man  could  foretell,  and  all  the  plans  of  the 
scout  might  very  easily  have  been  overthrown  by 
the  actions  of  the  Tories  and  Indians,  who  were 
now  to  be  found  in  almost  every  part  of  that  region. 
If  Jairus  had  been  alone,  doubtless  he  would  have 
quickly  followed   his  first   impulse,  which  was  to 
?ouch  his  horse  with  his  spurs,  and  place  as  great  a 
distance  as  possible  between  himself  and  the  men 
whom  he  at  once  had  recognized  as  enemies  of  his 
country.     But    Prudence  was  with  him,  and  sev- 
eral  motives,  not  all  of  which  were  recognized  by 
the  lad  himself,  combined  to  render  the  thought  of 
deserting  her  in  such  a  time  of  peril  as  something 
not  to  be  considered  even  for  a  moment. 

The  girl's  own  actions  also  puzzled  him.     How 
was  it  that  she  knew  his  cousin  ?     When  had  they 

313 


Mtai 


MWK 


A  PAnrmG. 


3«3 


gnized  his 
e  stores  he 
lys  before, 
that  Alec 
ons  to  seek 

was  some- 
)lans  of  the 
rthrown  by 
,  who  were 
that  region, 
would  have 
ich  was  to 
e  as  great  a 
id  the  men 
;mies  of  his 
n,  and  sev- 
:ognized  by 
5  thought  of 
s  something 
I. 

him.     How 
en  had  they 


met  before?  And  wliat  was  the  meaning  of  the 
cordial  greeting  she  had  given  Arthur,  when  first 
she  recognized  him  as  they  approached  the  house? 
These  questions  flashed  through  his  mmd  m  a 
moment,  but  they  had  not  prevented  him  rom 
keeping  a  careful  watch,  meanwhile,  on  the  actions 

of  the  men  before  him.  .  ,  „  ,        ujo 

"  These  fellows  are  Tories,  Jeremiah,  he  whis- 
pered to  his  companio  "  Something's  gone  wrong 
and  Alec  Bryan  has  n,u.de  a  mistake." 

"  Hold  on  a  minute,  Jairus,"  replied   Jeremiah, 
"  Alec  must  have  known  what  he  was  talking  about, 
and  certainly  this  is  the  place  where  he  told  us  to  go. 
"That  may  be  so,  but  we  don't  want  to  run  our 
necks  right  into  a  noose.     We've  got  to  think  erf 
Prudence,  as  well  as  of  ourselves,  and  I  think  we  d 
better  put  straight  out  of  this  before  any  trouble 
comes      My  cousin,  Arthur  Goodwin,  is  there,  and 
he's  seen  me  already.     I  don't  believe  we  want  any 
farther  notice  to  quit.     Come  on,  Jeremiah.     Lets 
put  out  before  anything  happens." 

The  lad  was  whispering,  but  his  low  tones  could 
not  conceal  his  eagerness  and  excitement.  Even 
while  he  was  speaking  he  had  drawn  his  bridle  rem 
tight,  and  was  about  to  turn  his  horse  about,  pre- 
paratory to  making  a  dash  for  the  road  again 

"  Hold  on,  my  lad,"  said  Jeremiah  quickly.  1 
guess  it's  all  right  enough,  for  here  comes  some- 
body I  know,"  and  he  looked  quickly  towards  a 
man  who  now  was  advancing  from  the  house. 


■Mm 


314 


rivo  YOUNG  PAT  mors. 


As  Jiiirus  followed  his  companion's  glance,  lie 
saw  now  what  had  been  unnoticed  by  him  before, 
and  that  was  that  there  were  other  men  in  the  com- 
pany who  were  clad  in  the  Continental  uniform. 
There  were  several  of  them,  and  their  apparent 
freedom  at  once  brought  hope  to  the  young  soldier's 
heart.  Besides,  so  many  of  the  men  wore  no  uni- 
form that  it  was  impossible  to  determine  to  which 
side  they  belonged.  In  all  there  must  be  nearly 
fifteen  men  about  the  place. 

Arthur  Goodwin,  while  he  had  responded  t-  Pru- 
dence's hail,  had  not  offered  to  leave  the  house,  and 
the  fact  that  the  few  Continentals  there  carried 
guns,  while  the  Tories  were  unarmed,  served  to 
strengthen  the  new  hope  which  had  come  to  Jairus. 
He  watched  the  young  officer  who  now  ap- 
proached the'T  ^^nd  in  a  moment  perceived  that  he 
had  recognizc^*        companion. 

"Why,  Jeifc  1  V  when  did  you  come?"  the 
stranger  asked  as  soon  as  he  recognized  the  soldier. 
"  We  didn't  know  but  you  had  been  caught  by  the 
redcoats  or  scalped  by  the  redskins,  it's  been  so 
long  since  we've  had  a  glimpse  of  your  honest  face. 
Come,  give  an  account  of  yourself." 

"  My,  it's  Sergeant  Miller ! "  replied  Jeremiah 
eagerly.  "  You  know  I'm  a  Yankee,  and  I'll  ask 
another  question  by  the  way  of  answering  yours. 
Are  you  prisoners  here,  or  have  you  taken  these 

men  ? "  , 

» I  don't  look  nor  act  like  a  prisoner,  do   I  ? 


^  PARTING. 


315 


glance,  he 
im  before, 
1  the  com- 
1  uniform, 
apparent 
ig  soldier's 
)re  no  uni- 
;  to  which 
be  nearly 

led  t-  Pru- 
house,  and 
ere  carried 
served  to 
e  to  Jairus. 

0  now  ap- 
ed that  he 

)me?"  the 
the  soldier, 
ight  by  the 
t's  been  so 
honest  face. 

1  Jeremiah 
md  I'll  ask 
jring  yours, 
taken  these 

ler,  do   I  ?  " 


laughed   the   young   sergeant.      "No,   sir,    I'm    no 
prisoner  as  yet,  though   no  one  knows  wiiat  may 
happen  before  morning.     I've  been  out  on  a  little 
excursion  with  a  few  of  my  men,  and  we  ran  across 
these  Tories  and  have  given  them  a  very  cordial 
invitation  to  go  back  to  camp  with  us,  which  I'm 
inclined  to  think  they'll  accept,  chiefly  because  they 
can't   help  themselves.      You   see,   Jeremiah,"  he 
added,  lowering  his  voice  as  he  spoke,  "  about  half 
of  these  men  are  Canadian  Tories,  and  we  got  wind 
of  a  little  scheme  which  was  in  the  air  about  their 
trying  to  kidnap  General  Phil  Schuyler.     Some  of 
us  thought  that  the  general  had  had  about  trouble 
enough  without  these  fellows  being  allowed  to  add 
to   it,  so  we  fixed   a   trap  and   they  fell   into  it, 
every  one  of  'em.     We've  got  'em  now,  sure,  and 
we'll  start  pretty  soon  with  'em  for  the  camp.     Not 
a  bad  day's  work,  either,  I'm  thinking,"  added  the 
young  officer,  evidently  proud  of  his  success. 

"  Quite  right,  sergeant,"  replied  Jeremiah,  "  quite 
right.  But  what  do  ye  mean  about  General  Phil 
Schuyler's  bad  luck?  I  hope  nothing  bad  has  hap- 
pened to  him  or  to  the  army.  Ye  see,  I've  been 
away  so  long  I've  lost  all  trace  of  things." 

"  Well,  I  should  say  you  had,"  replied  Sergeant 
Miller  in  surprise,  "  if  you  haven't  heard  of  General 
Schuyler's  bad  luck.  Why,  he's  been  put  out  of 
the  command,  and  General  Gates  is  in  his  place. 
I  call  that  bad  luck  for  Schuyler,  to  say  nothing  of 
its  being  bad  luck  for  the  army.     But  put  out  your 


3i6 


TfVO   YOVNC  PATRIOTS. 


horses  and  come  into  the  house,  anil  I'll  tell  you  all 
about  it.  The  girl  needn't  be  afraid,"  he  added, 
bowing  to  Prudence;  "for  we've  two  or  three  ladies 
here  now,  and  they  will  look  after  her  wants.  This 
is  Sam  Powell's  house,  and  Mistress  Sam  is  one  of 
the  best  women  in  this  world  or  the  next." 

"What  are  ye  waiting  here  for?"  inquired 
Jeremiah  as  he  dismounted,  an  example  which  his 
two  companions  speedily  followed,  Prudence  alight- 
ing upon  the  ground  before  Jairus  could  offer  her 
his  aid.  "I  should  think  ye'd  want  to  start 
straight  back  for  the  camp  before  yer  prisoners 

get  away." 

"  We'd  like  to  start  well  enough,"  laughed  the 
sergeant,  "but,  you  see,  we  can't  go  before  morning. 
I'll  tell  you  about  it  when  you  come  in,"  and  he  led 
the  way  into  the  house. 

He  conducted  Prudence  through  the  wide  hall; 
for  the  house  was  somewhat  more  pretentious  than 
the  most  of  those  on  the  frontier,  and  also  con- 
tained many  more  rooms. 

Mistress  Prudence  did  not  appear  to  be  entirely 
unconscious  of  the  interest  her  arrival  seemed  to 
create  among  the  inmates,  but  her  pretty  head  was 
not  turned  to  either  side  as  she  passed  through  the 
hall,  and  was  left  by  the  sergeant  in  the  care  of 
Mistress  Powell. 

Jeremiah  and  Jairus  were  on  the  piazza  waitmg 
for  the  sergeant  to  return,  and  when  he  came  back, 
as  he  saw  that  the  two  men  were  busied  in  their 


A  PARTING. 


3>7 


tell  you  all 
'  he  added, 
three  ladies 
ants.  This 
im  is  one  of 
t." 

' "  inquired 
e  which  his 
ience  alight- 
Id  offer  her 
,nt  to  start 
er  prisoners 

laughed  the 
ore  morning. 
"  and  he  led 

le  wide  hall; 
entious  than 
nd  also  con- 

0  be  entirely 
al  seemed  to 
itty  head  was 

through  the 

1  the  care  of 

)iazza  waiting 
e  came  back, 
isied  in  their 


conversation,  Jairus  turned  to  speak  to  h.s  cousin. 
Arthur  Goodwin.  He  had  been  eager  to  do  this 
ever  since  they  had  arrived,  but  now  that  the  mo- 
ment had  come,  Arthur  was  not  to  be  seen. 

Jairus  walked  slowly  around  the  house,  but  still 
could  not  find  him.  The  prisoners  were  compelled 
to  remain  within  doors,  but  were  not  confined 
within  any  one  room.  They  had  been  disarmed, 
and  as  their  captors  outnumbered  them,  and  were 
all  well  armed,  and  in  addition  a  careful  guard  was 
maintained,  no  further  precautions  were  considered 

as  necessary  for  the  time.  ,    r      ^    f 

Somewhat  puzzled.  Jairus  returned  to  the  front  of 
the  house  and  was  about  to  ask  the  sergeant  for 
information,  but  he  saw  that  he  was  still  busy  m  his 
consultation  with  Jeremiah,  and  he  hesitated  to  dis- 
turb them.  .       ,  , 
Entering  the  house  without  speaking,  he  passed 
through  the  hall,  and  as  he  came  near  to  the  door 
which  opened  into  the  kitchen,  he  heard  a  laugh 
which   at  once  betrayed  the  presence  of   Arthur. 
He  was  in  the  kitchen. 

Opening  the  door,  he  saw  Mistress  Powell  busy 
in  her  work,  and  directly  before  him,  seated  side 
by  side  before  the  low  kitchen  table,  were  Arthur 
Goodwin  and  Prudence. 

A  laugh  greeted  his  approach,  and  he  was  about 
to  back  out  of  the  room  in  confusion  when  Prudence 
called :  "  Don't  go,  Jairus.  Come  in  and  hear  what 
Arthur  is  telling.     He's  your  cousin,  he  says.     1  He 


^PW**"*" 


318 


TiVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


fe 


idea !  I  never  thought  you  were  Arthur's  cousin," 
and  the  girl  laughed  heartily  as  she  spoke,  and  gave 
an  added  emphasis  to  "  Arthur,"  which  was  not  in 
the  least  pleasing  to  Jairus. 

"  Yes,  I'm  his  cousin,"  said  Jairus,  stopping  near 
the  doo*-  and  looking  half  angrily  at  Prudence. 
"  Yes,  I  suppose  I  can't  deny  it.  I  am  his  cousin, 
but  I'm  not  proud  of  it." 

"  You're  not  half  so  much  ashamed  of  it  as  I  am," 
retorted  Arthur  angrily. 

"  Oh,  don't  be  bad  boys,"  pleaded  Prudence.  "  I 
don't  like  to  hear  you  quarrel." 

"  No,  you  prefer  listening  to  his  lies,  or  '  stories,' 
as  you  call  them,"  said  Jairus  sharply,  for  he  was 
thoroughly  angry  now. 

"  Well,"  replied  Prudence  demurely,  "  I  don't 
know  whether  they  are  'stories'  or  not;  but  if  they 
are,  they're  not  half  so  bad  as  it  is  to  hear  you 
quarrel.  I'm  sure  I'm  not  to  blame,  and  I  don't 
see  what  Arthur's  done  to  make  you  act  so;  I 
really  don't,  Jairus  Goodwin." 

"  Arthur,  will  you  tell  me  where  my  mother  is  ? " 
said  Jairus,  ignoring  Prudence's  words.  "  You  know 
where  she  is,  I  am  sure.     Will  you  tell  me  ? " 

Arthur  only  laughed,  but  made  no  other  reply. 
His  silence  seemed  to  enrage  Jairus  still  more,  and 
he  advanced  threateningly  towards  his  cousin,  who 
had  not  moved  from  his  seat  at  the  table  by  the 
side  of  Prudence. 

"  Arthur  Goodwin,  will  you  tell  me  ?  "  repeated 


M  PARTING. 


3»9 


s  cousin, 
and  gave 
as  not  in 

ping  near 
Prudence, 
lis  cousin, 

as  I  am," 

ence.    "  I 

r  '  stories,' 
yc  he  was 

"I  don't 
»ut  if  they 

hear  you 
id  I  don't 
act  so;    I 

other  is?" 
You  know 
e?" 

ther  reply. 

more,  and 

ousin,  who 

ble  by  the 

"  repeated 


Jairus  "  She's  always  been  a  good  friend  to  you, 
you  know  that,  and  I  don't  know  whether  she's 
alive  or  not.  now.     Will  you  tell  me,  if  you  know  ? 

Jairus  showed  his  deep  feeling  by  his  voice,  and 
Prudence  evidently  was  touched.  "  Tell  him,  Arthur, 
if  you  know,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice. 

But  Arthur  Goodwin  still  only  laughed,  and  look- 
ing calmly  at  Jairus,  made  no  reply. 

"  Maybe  you  don't  know,  Arthur,"  said  Jairus,  a 
little  more  calmly.  "  But  can  you  tell  me  where 
Sam  is  ?  I  haven't  heard  a  word  from  him  since  I 
saw  you.  Do  you  know  where  he  is?  Can  you 
tell  me  whether  he  is  alive  or  not  ? "  ,  „     . , 

"  I  don't  know  but  I  might,  if  I  tried  hard,    said 
Arthur  slowly  ;  "  but  I  don't  think  I  shall." 
"Why  not?" 

"  I  don't  want  anything  to  do  with  paupers.    My 
father  fed  you,  and  then  you  and  your  whole  family 
just  turned  against  him  and  refused  to  give  him 
what  was  his  own.     Then  when  he  took  it,  for  it 
was  his  all  the  time,  what  did  you  do?    You  just 
scattered  lies  about  him  all  over  the  frontier.    You 
even  made  some  people  believe  them.     No,  sir! 
I  could  tell  you  something  about  your  mother,  but 
I  won't.     I  could  tell  you  a  bit  about  Sam,  and  it 
would  interest  you,  too,  but  I  just  won't,  and  that's 
all  there  is  about  it.     I  think  too  much  of  myself  to 
•have  anything  to  do  with  such  stuff   as  you  are. 
You're  no  Goodwin.     You're  a  pauper,  that's  just 
what  you  are.     You're  not  at  for  decent  folks  t<» 


nmm 


320 


TiVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


associate  with,  and  just  as  soon  as  this  httle  cam- 
paign is  ended,  I'll  try  to  see  that  you  get  your  just 
deserts,  too!"  And  before  Jairus  perceived  what 
was  in'  his  cousin's  mind,  Arthur  slipped  from  the 
table  and  passed  quickly  through  the  open  door- 
way into  the  hall,  and  rejoined  some  of  his  com- 

panions.  i  r       i  •       »» 

"  I  don't  see  what  you  want  to  quarrel  for,  Jairus, 
said  Prudence.    "  You  began  it,  I'm  sure ;  Arthur 

didn't."  . ,   ,  .  •  ^1     r 

"  No,  of  course  he  didn't,"  said  Jairus  quietly,  for 

he  was'  too  angry  to  trust  himself  to  say  much. 

"  No  of  course  he  didn't.     His  mother  hasn't  been 

carried  away  by  the  Tories  or  Indians.    His  brother 

hasn't  been  taken  prisoner,  and  maybe  hanged  before 

this   for  all  that  I  know.     His  home  hasn't  been 

burned  to  the  ground.     He  hasn't  had  all  his  hard 

work  for  two  years  destroyed.    He  hasn't  been  shut 

up  in  his  own  sheep-pen  and  fired  at  by  a  lot  of 

scoundrels,  led  on,  it  may  be,  by  his  own  cousin. 

Oh  no.     Of  course  he  hasn't  begun  it.     And  it  he 

had,  it  would  probably  be  not  worth  considering  by 

you.  Mistress  Prudence.     But  I  think  of  it.  and  I  U 

have  it  out  of  that  traitor,  if  he  is  my  cousin,  before 

I  leave  this  house ! "     And  Jairus  quickly  left  the 

room.  ,  . 

In  the  hall  he  met  Jeremiah,  who  was  searching 
for  him,  and  doubtless  the  meeting  prevented  further 
trouble  between  the  cousins;  for  the  old  soldier  drew 
the  lad  with  him.  on  the  plea  that  he  had  something 


A   PARTING. 


321 


ttle  cam- 
your  just 
ved  what 

from  the 
)en  door- 

his  com- 

r,  Jairus," 
j;  Arthur 

[uietly,  for 
iay  much, 
asn't  been 
lis  brother 
ged  before 
asn't  been 
1  his  hard 

been  shut 
)y  a  lot  of 
yvn  cousin. 

And  if  he 
iidering  by 

it,  and  I'll 
usin,  before 
kly  left  the 

s  searching 
ited  further 
ioldier  drew 
I  something 


of  importance  to  tell  him,  and  together  they  went 
out  of  the  house.  ^^ 

"We  can't  take  Prudy  to  Mrs.  Schuyler,  said 
Jeremiah;  "for  the  sergeant  tells  me  that  she's 
gone  down  near  Albany.  It  seems  her  place  up 
near  Saratoga  isn't  considered  safe  any  longer.  It 
may  be  burned  up  before  this,  too." 

"  It  isn't  the  only  place  that  has  been  burned  by 
the  rascals, '  muttered  Jairus. 

"  Right,  my  son,  quite  right;  but  Mistress  Cath- 
erine  Schuyler  has   borne   it   bravely,  which    I'm 
afraid  is  a  little  more  than  can  be  said  of  every 
one."     Jairus's  face  flushed  at  the  rebuke,  but  as  he 
remained  silent,  Jeremiah  continued:  "She  herself 
came  all  the  way  up  there  from  Albany  to  see  to 
movin'  out  her  furniture  and  stuff  when  she  heard 
of  the  danger.     And  while  she  was  there  General 
Phil  himself  sent  her  word  of  what  Burgoyne  was 
up  to,  and  told  her  to  burn  the  grain  and  crops  in 
the  fields.     And  it  seems  she  did,  too,  and  they  do 
say,  as  Sergeant  Miller  is  a  tellin'   me,  that  she 
even  set  fire  to  'em  herself  and  with  her  own  hands. 
That's  the  lady  for  you,  thftt  is !    She's  a  fit  wife  for 
General  Philip  Schuyler,  the  best  man  in  the  North. 
"But   I   don't  see  but  that  we'll  have  to  take 
Mistress  Prudence  to  Albany,  then.     That's  all  the 
difference  it  makes  to  us,"  said  Jairus,  still  some- 
what angry. 

"  No.     Sergeant   Miller  is   going  to  put  me  in 
command  of  these  prisoners,  and  he  and  two  others 


eawTMPS'wiKwnl**** 


333 


TIVO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


arc  soing  tc,  Albany,  and  they'll  look  after  the  jass. 
That'll  save  you  and  me  all  the  trouble,  ye  see. 

The  old  soldier  glanced  keenly  at  Jairus  as  he 
spoke,  to  see  the  effect  of  his  words,  but  the  lad  was 
still  angry,  and  Jeremiah  was  sadly  puzzled. 

His  suggestion,  however,  was  carried  out.  Ihe 
following  morning  Jeremiah  assumed  charge  of  the 
prisoners,  and  as  they  were  about  to  start,  Prudence 
approached  Jairus  as  he  stood  near  the  house 

"Good  by,  Jairus,"  she  said,  reaching  forth  her 
hand  as  she  spoke.  ^^  "  I'm  sure  I  thank  you  for  all 
you've  done  for  me." 

"  You're  welcome."  ,    i    i  j 

"  And,  Jairus,  I  think  you  were  very  brave  to  hold 
the    Panther's  feet   as  you  did,"  and  she   turned 

abruptly  and  left  him.  n    j     oo 

The  lad  was  not  quite  certain  whether  Prudence 
was  serious,  or  was  still  poking  fun  at  him;  but  the 
call  to  advance  came,  and  sadly  puzzled  as  to  the 
ways  of  womankind,  Jairus  joined  Jeremiah  and 
the  prisoners  on  their  march  to  the  camp. 


1 


;r  the  lass, 
e  see." 
irus  as  he 
he  lad  was 
ed. 

out.  The 
irge  of  the 
t,  Prudence 
ouse. 

r  forth  her 
you  for  all 


rave  to  hold 
she   turned 

er  Prudence 
lim ;  but  the 
:d  as  to  the 
;remiah  and 
ip. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  ADVANCE  OF  JOHN  BURGOVNE. 

The  march  to  the  American  camp  with  the  Tory 
prisoners  was  not  a  long  one,  and  the  leaders  met 
with  no  mishap  by  the  way.  Arthur  Goodwin  was 
sullen  and  silent,  and  manifested  no  disposition  to 
enter  into  conversation  with  his  cousin ;  but  as 
Jairus  also  had  a  similar  feeling,  neither  of  the  boys 
felt  any  regret  at  the  silence. 

There  were  six  men  in  the  party  of  prisoners  and 
there  were  four  men,  besides  Jairus  and  Jeremiah, 
to  guard  them,  and  as  the  latter  were  all  armed  no 
attempts  to  escape  were  made. 

As  they  marched,  the  thoughts  of  Jairus  were 
divided  somewhat  between  his  mother  and  brother, 
and  Miss  Prudence.  The  actions  of  that  young 
lady  were  sadly  confusing  to  Jairus,  and  he  was  un- 
able to  account  for  some  of  the  feelings  she  had 
displayed.  Her  apparent  tendency  to  make  sport 
of  him  was  more  than  atoned  for  by  the  tenderness 
with  which  she  had  thanked  him,  when  they  parted, 
for  all  his  efforts  in  her  behalf,  and  in  spite  of  his 
irritation  at  her  lightness,  Jairus  felt  somehow  as 
if  the  parting  scene  had  betrayed  her  true  feelings. 

333 


334 


//Kt»    YOUNG   I'AiNIOTS. 


Still,  there  was  her  recognition  of  Arthur  to  be 
accounted  for.     How  was  it  that  she  knew  him? 
Where  had  she  met  him?     And  apparently,  too, 
Arthur  had  been  as  pleased  as  she  at  the  meeting. 
His  anger  at  his  cousin  increased  at  the  thought, 
and  he  glanced  at  him  as  he  marched  silently  on  in 
the  midst  of  the  party.     Surely  there  were  no  greater 
traitors  to  be  found  than  Arthur  Goodwin  and  his 
father.     Jairus  thought  of  all  the  sufferings  his  own 
mother  had  endured,  and  his  anger  increased.     The 
lad    did    not    realize    that    the    interview   between 
Arthur  and  Prudence,  which  he  had  interrupted  in 
the  kitchen  of  the  house  where  they  had  stopped, 
had  had  much  to  do  with  increasing  his  anger  at 
his  cousin,  and  that  his  treachery  appeared  to  him 
darker  than  ever,  now.     But  Jairus  Goodwin  was 
perhaps  no  exception  to  the  rule,  for  every  man  is 
prone  to  deceive  himself.     Indeed,  the  person  of  all 
others  who  is  the  most  easily  deceived  is  one's  own 
self.    "  Men   believe   that  which  they  wish  to  be- 
lieve," wrote  the  greatest  of  the   Roman  generals 
centuries  ago,  and  the  words  are  as  true  to-day  as 
when  Caesar  uttered  them. 

There  was  one  comfort  to  Jairus,  however,  and 
that  was  that  he  was  mounted,  while  Arthur  was 
compelled  to  trudge  on,  on  foot.  He  was,  perhaps, 
selfish  in  this  feeling,  but  Arthur  so  long  had  as- 
sumed a  superior  air  in  dealing  with  his  cousins, 
that  now,  when  the  turn  for  Jairus  to  hold  the 
higher  place  had  come,  his  elation  was  but  natural. 


77/A    .IPI'.IJVC/-:   Oh  JOHN  BVKCOYXF.. 


325 


hur  to  be 
new  him  ? 
cntly,  too, 
:  meeting. 
I  thought, 
intly  on  in 
no  greater 
in  and  his 
Ts  his  own 
sed.     The 
/   between 
rrupted  in 
d  stopped, 
s  anger  at 
red  to  him 
odwin  was 
ery  man  is 
;rson  of  all 
one's  own 
ish  to  be- 
n  generals 
e  to-day  as 

wever,  and 
Arthur  was 
is,  perhaps, 
ng  had  as- 
lis  cousins, 
0  hold  the 
>ut  natural. 


When,  at  lasl.  thr  little  party  ciitcivd  within  the 
American  lines  and  Jeremiah  made  his  report,  the 
prisoners  were  at  once  placed  with  those  whom 
Timothy  Murphy  and  his  companions  had  secured. 
And  Jairus  and  Samuel,  all  unbeknown  to  each 
other,  had  been  standing  only  a  few  yards  apart. 
So  near  do  we  all  of  us  come  at  times  to  the  very 
thing  we  most  desire,  and  our  eyes  are  holden  and 
we  see  not. 

The  two  lads  now  entered  into  the  camp  life, 
Samuel  spending  much  of  his  time  with  his  new 
friend  Timothy,  while  Jairus  was  under  the  special 
care  and  protection  of  the  old  soldier  Jeremiah. 

To  the  last-named  the  return  to  the  army  was  a 
source  of  supreme  delight.  He  had  been  absent 
'o  long  a  time  that  his  return  was  a  novelty  in  it- 
:,t.f.  He  never  tired  of  listening  to  the  story  of  the 
battle  ^f  Bennington,  and  the  mention  of  the  de- 
feat of  M.  Leger  never  failed  to  rouse  his  enthusi- 
asm to  the  highest  pitch.  But  his  excitement  was 
to  increase  soui>,  ior  stirring  experiences  lay  before 
the  American  army  —  experiences  in  which  Jere- 
miah and  our  boys  were  to  have  no  small  share. 

They  heard  how  one  of  the  Tory  prisoners  had 
been  hanged :  the  leader  who  had  boldly  declared 
his  mission  from  the  time  when  he  had  been  taken. 
The  others  were  considered  as  prisoners  of  war,  and 
were  sent  on  to  Albany  for  safe-keeping.  Arthur 
Goodwin,  of  course,  was  in  this  number,  and  Jairus, 
when  he  learned  of  the  action  taken,  thought  that 


II  mil  II  I  imiiiiil 


326 


TPVO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


possibly  his  oousi,.  n.ight  sec  Prudence  somehow 
Uu-ing  his  captivity.  Had  he  known  what  was 
actually  to  take  place,  perhaps  the  anger  which  the 
thought  aroused  might  have  been  even  more  m- 
tense  than  it  was;  but  the  stirring  expenences  of 
the  camp  life  soon  drove  most  other  thoughts  from 
his  mind,  and  he  only  at  times  recalled  his  cousin 

All  the  soldiers  knew  that  the  end  must  soon 
come       Many  of   the   pioneers  had   now  secured 
their"crops,  and  had  left  home  for  the  carnp.  their 
families  in  many  instances  having  joined  with  others 
in  abandoning  their  dwelling-places  and  seek  ng  the 
shelter  and  protection  of  the  blockhouses.     Indeed 
there  was  scarcely  a  time  in  the  entire  war  o    the 
Revolution  when  the  militia  served  so  willingly  as 
they  did  near  the  close  of  Burgoyne  s  invasion.     The 
death  of  Jane  M'Crea,  the  success  at  Bennington, 
and  the  victory  of  those  who  had  opposed  the  ad- 
vance  of  St.  Leger,  all  combined  to  bring  this  to 

^' And  there  were  many  ways  in  which  these  rude 
soldiers  were  kept  busy  before  the  final  action  took 
place.     The  march  of   Burgoyne's  men  was  to  be 
checked,  his  army  harassed  by  scattering  attacks 
day  and  night,  his  supplies  were  to  be  cut  off  his 
way  obstructed,  and,  indeed,  everything  done  wh  ch 
lay  within  the  power  of  these  rough  men  of  the 
fltier.  who  were  governed  by  the  dual  thought  o 
the  dangers  threatening  their  own  homes,  and  the 
ravages  that  might  follow  the  success  of  the  invaders. 


THE  ADVANCE   OF  JOHN  HUKGOVNE 


327 


somehow 
vhat  was 
vhich  the 
more  in- 
riences  of 
ghts  from 
}  cousin, 
nust  soon 
V  secured 
amp,  their 
irith  others 
eeking  the 
I.     Indeed, 
war  of  the 
krillingly  as 
sion.     The 
tennington, 
sed  the  ad- 
ing  this  to 

these  rude 
action  took 

I  was  to  be 
ing  attacks 
cut  off,  his 
done  which 
men  of  the 

II  thought  of 
nes,  and  the 
the  invaders. 


And  the  problem  before  the.   liritish  ar.ny  was 
now  daily  becoming  more  serious.     Uurgoyne  had 
hoped  to  secure  a  large  supply  of  horses  as  the 
St  of  the  expedition   to  Bennington,   but  h.s 
hopes  there  were  dashed,  as  we  know     He  had 
XZ  nothing  from  Howe  or  Clinton,  and  therefor 
knew  not  what  he  could  depend  upon  from  the 
SouTh      His  supplies  had  to  be  brought    or  the 
most  part  from  c'anada,  and  the  difficulty  ot.n. 
portatL  was  daily  becommg  greate  .    Wherever 
his  army  moved,  the  ditches  the  Americans  had  dug 
had  to  be  filled  in,  and  rude  bridges  constructed. 
And  little  parties  of  skilful   riflemen,  safely  con- 
ceakd  within   the  vast  forests  through  which  he 
must  move,  harassed  his  men  by  day  and  by  mght. 
No  pompous  proclamations  were  now  sent  forth 
into  the  surrounding  regions.    There  were  no  boast- 
ul  offers  of  mercy,  no  threatenmgs  for  the  kings 
enemies     A  strange  hush  had  fallen  over  the  s^ly 
h^LT  British  genfral,  and  the  P^Wem  w=.  f- 
c^rnging  from  one  of  devastating  the  land,  to  the 
protection  of  himself  and  his  men. 

But  John  Burgoyne  was  no  coward.  He  had 
been  over-confident  when  he  set  forth  on  h.sexped- 
^l  L,  indeed,  no  one  can  blame  him  for  the  feel- 
ing ;  for  all  things  seemed  to  favor  him. 

He  had  a  large  and  well-equipped  army,  soldier 
trained  by  the  best  of  European  generals  were  in 
huTanksfhe  was  well  supplied  with  money,  and 
tLl  was  every  prospect  that  the  scattered  people 


$28 


TfVO    YOUNG  PATRtOTS. 


among  whom  he  was  moving  would  soon  rally 
beneath  his  victorious  standard.  But  he  was  now 
striving  to  keep  up  the  spiiits  of  his  men,  and, 
despite  his  lack  of  teams,  was  doing  his  utmost  to 
hasten  forward  from  Lake  George  the  supplies 
which  had  been  sent  down  from  Canada. 

The  13th  and  14th  of  September  came,  and  the 
British  army  passed  over  from  the  eastern  to  the 
western  bank  of  the  Hudson  and  went  into  camp  on 
the  plain  and  on  the  heights  of  Saratoga. 

And  the  American  army  lay  only  nine  miles  away, 
near  Stillwater. 

On  the  1 5th,  the  British  moved  yet  nearer,  and 
advancing  as  far  as  Dovegat,  took  a  good  position 
and  remained  there  for  two  days. 

The  excitement  in  each  army  was  now  becoming 
intense,  for  all  knew  that  a  battle  could  not  be  long 
delayed.  Burgoyne  sent  out  parties  to  repair  the 
broken  bridges  and  seek  for  mformation  and  sup- 
plies. Still,  no  word  was  received  from  that  force 
which  he  had  confidently  believed  was  moving  up 
the  Hudson  to  join  him  at  Albany. 

On  the  17th  Burgoyne  again  moved,  and  advanc- 
ing as  far  as  "  Sword's  House,"  went  into  camp  in  a 
highly  advantageous  place. 

And  now  the  American  army  was  only  four  miles 
away. 

The  first  action  here  took  place;  for  General 
Arnold,  who  had  long  since  returned  from  his 
expedition   up   the    Mohawk    valley,  with    fifteen 


THE  ADVANCE   OF  JOHN  BURGOYNE. 


329 


ioon  rally 
i  was  now 
men,  and, 
utmost  to 
i    supplies 

e,  and  the 
:rn  to  the 
o  camp  on 

niles  away, 

learer,  and 
d  position 

becoming 
ot  be  long 
repair  the 
t  and  sup- 
that  force 
noving  up 

id  advanc- 
camp  in  a 

four  miles 

>r  General 

from    his 

ith    fifteen 


hundred  men,  had  endeavored  to  draw  the  atten- 
tion of  the  British  by  harassing  his  flanks,  but  the 
nature  of  the  ground  over  which  he  moved  had 
rendered  his  efforts  unavailing.  On  the  18th, 
Burgoyne  moved  still  nearer  to  the  American  lines 
and  took  a  position,  which  he  immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  strengthen  by  throwing  up  intrenchments 
and  redoubts.  A  deep  ravine  extended  parallel  with 
his  lines  and  directly  in  front  of  them,  and  added 
much  to  the  strength  of  his  position. 

And  now  the  American  army  lay  only  two  miles 

away. 

And  General  Burgoyne  now  proceeded  to  make 
his  arrangements  for  an  advance.  First,  he  sent 
out  skilled  men  to  examine  the  paths  and  roads 
which  led  towards  the  American  camp.  When  he 
had  received  the  desired  information,  he  at  once 
made  preparations  for  an  attack. 

The  right  of  his  army,  which  General  Fraser  was 
to  lead,  was  to  pass  by  a  circuitous  way  around  the 
head  of  the  ravine,  and  without  leaving  the  high 
ground  was  to  occupy  a  position  from  which  it  could 
cover  the  advance  of  the  centre  and  the  left  wing. 

General  Burgoyne  himself  was  to  command  the 
centre,  and  was  to  move  directly  towards  the  Amer- 
ican lines,  and  form  his  men  in  line  of  battle  when 
they  had  gained  the  summit,  on  the  south  side  of 
the  ravine ;  but  they  were  not  to  begin  the  attack 
until  the  right  wing  had  moved,  as  we  have  de- 
scribed, around  the  head  of  the  ravine,  and  the  left 


330 


riyo    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


wing  h»cl  repaired  the  bridses  and  were  ready  lo 
act  with  their  companionsm-armb. 

-r^hir.ydp{:hr^^^^^^^^^^^    - 

7:r^otZ  --pied  was  a 'good  one,  and 
The  P°^'''°"  *"  J  /  Good  as  it  was,  however, 
rAlricrnrh^drngthened  it  by  throwing  up 
breastworks  and  redoubts.  ^^^  ^.^^  ^, 

his  2    whi"  to  occupy  the  meadows  that  lay 

'b^rn  ihe  high  ground  and  the  ^^''^thl^hth 
to  hold  what  was  known  specifical  y  »»  *»«  "'S" 
to  hoia  wn  ^j  ij^^.^,^  Heights. 

l-^^SrJrrJtrSy-:;^ 
roro.rhrgh;::ro«teright.' 


iiiiniiiwlMiwii"i"irtir 


.tiiMiiiW."'"lWl*'' 


THE  ADVANCE   OF  JOHN  BURGOYNE. 


33» 


ready  to 

left  wing, 
isians  and 

the  main 
idows   and 

The  Ind- 
ers  in  the 
ing. 

larding  the 
y  had  been 
were  ready 
ide. 

at  the  plans 
e  of  all  the 
)efore  them, 
od  one,  and 
?as,  however, 
throwing  up 

right  wing  of 
dows  that  lay 
and  was  also 
as  the  "high 
\  Heights, 
the  left  wing, 
strangely  clad 
which  Arnold 
self,  and  also 
:ht. 


Between  the  two  divisions  the  ground  was  low 
and  hid  been  cultivated,  but  the  hills  were  stdl 

covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  timber. 

Directly  in  front  of  the  right  wmg  w-  a  deeP 
ravine,  which  extended  in  a  direction  parallel  to  the 
Ame  ican  lines.  In  this  ravine  tall  trees  were 
.rowing  closely  together,  and  in  many  respects  it 
was  very  similar  to  the  one  which  was  near  the 

^tm  another  ravine,  somewhat  like  the  other  two. 
lay  about  half-way  between  the  two  armies. 

A  small  body  of  light  troops  had  ".eanwhde  been 
sent  over  to  the  eastern  side  of  the  Hudson,  with 
Orders  to  observe  carefully  the  -ove-ent\«  he 
British  and  report  at  once  anything  which  they  saw 
of  an  unusual  or  suspicious  character. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  .9th  o  September 
(1777),  the  British  advanced  from  the.r  camp  and 
ripped  to  move  upon  their  enemies.  The  cen  « 
'andV  right  wing  were  soon  m  -atoess  and  were 
waiting  for  the  signal  to  begm  the  b;«'^-  ?"'  *^ 
left  wing  had  met  with  many  more  difficulties  than 
U  hid  anticipated,  in  rep.i'ing  the  bridges  and 
opening  up  a  way,  and  was  consequently  much 

'''Thf  forenoon  passed,  the  sun  mounted  high  in 
the  heavens,  but  still  the  signal  for  the  advance 

" rtt^'Cwever,  between  one  and  two  oyocU 
in  th«  afternoon,  the  sharp  report  of  three  guns 


332 


TPVO   YOUNG  PATJilOTS. 


P 


fired  in  rapid  succession  was  heard,  and  as  this  was 
known  to  be  the  signal  agreed  upon,  the  sharp 
commands  rang  out,  the  three  divisions  of  the  Brit- 
ish army  quickly  responded,  and  together  advanced 

to  the  attack. 

No  sooner  were  they  in  motion,  however,  than  the 
American  scouts  and  pickets,  and  various  scattered 
bodies  which  had  been  stationed  along  the  Ime  of 
march,  opened  fire  upon  the  advancing  redcoats; 
but  the  march  was  not  checked. 

The  British,  officers  and  soldiers  alike,  were  de- 
termined now.  They  all  realized  the  desperate 
need  they  i.ad  of  aid,  and  a  battle  was  their  on  y 
hope.  No  help  had  come,  their  supplies  were  nearly 
gone,  and  destruction  was  certain  if  they  delayed 

longer.  ,    ,   • 

On  the  other  hand,  a  battle  might  not  only  bring 
relief,  but  a  victory  as  well ;  and  if  only  they  could 
cut  their  way  through  those  ever-increasing  lines 
of  the  Americans  they  might  succeed  in  scattering 
their  enemies,  and  march  on  to  success,  and  join 
those  forces  which  they  still  fondly  hoped  were 
moving  up  the  Hudson  to  meet  them. 

In  view  of  all  these  things,  and  the  rugged  bravery 
which  everywhere  is  characteristic  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxon,  whether  his  home  is  in  the  New  World  or 
the  Old,  these  determined  redcoats  gave  slight  heed 
to  the  scattering  fire  which  met  them  as  they  ad- 
vanced, and  pushed  steadily  on  towards  their  foes. 
But  the  Americans,  although  they  sadly  lacked  the 


uiKiaWll'iwmiMWVIIWiW 


as  this  was 

the   sharp 

of  the  Brit- 

;r  advanced 

^er,  than  the 

us  scattered 

the  line  of 

ig  redcoats; 

ke,  were  de- 
le  desperate 
,s  their  only 
3  were  nearly 
they  delayed 

)t  only  bring 
ly  they  could 
reasing  lines 
in  scattering 
;ess,  and  join 
hoped  were 

igged  bravery 
f  the  Anglo- 
ew  World  or 
*re  slight  heed 
n  as  they  ad- 
•ds  their  foes, 
ily  lacked  the 


.THE  ADVANCE   OF  JOHN  BUKGOYNE.  333 

discipline  and  training  of  their  cousins  from  across 
the  sea  had  sprung  from  the  same  stock  and  we.e 
ready  to  display  something  of  the  same  determma- 

'"Besides.  they  outnumbered  the  --d-^. --' ^^^^ 
were  defending  their  own  homes  -"^  Preside  ^Con- 
sequently, it  needed  no  prophet  to  foretell  hat  the 
sS  which  was  to  follow  would  be  a  terrible  one. 

And  terrible  it  was.  , 

Thrfirst  real  portions  of  the  battle  now  began, 
Jen  the  advancing  British  columns  found  them- 
I^lves  face  to  face  with  the  riflemen  of  Darnel 
Morgan's  dragoons. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE    BEGINNING  OF   THE    END. 

The  terrible  riflemen  who  composed  the  regi- 
ment of  Daniel  Morgan  had  been  sent,  along  with  a 
detachment  of  light  infantry,  to  oppose  the  progress 
of  the  British.  Every  man  was  eager  for  the  con- 
test, and  when  Major  Morris,  who  was  leading  Mor- 
gan's band,  rushed  upon  the  advancing  lines,  he  was 
so  excited  that  he  was  borne  beyond  the  men  who 
were  following  him,  and  the  dragoons,  as  a  natural 
consequence,  were  soon  scattered,  being,  as  they 
were,  without  a  leader;  and,  as  the  enemy  were  im- 
mediately reinforced,  they  were  soon  driven  back. 

But  their  movements  had  served  to  check  the 
red-coated  columns  for  a  time,  and  as  soon  as  Gen- 
eral Gates  learned  of  it,  he  at  once  ordered  two 
regiments  to  advance  to  the  assistance  of  Morgan's 

men. 

General  Arnold  and  the  newcomers  off  to  the 
left  of  the  riflemen  were  evidently  striving  to  turn 

Eraser's  flank. 

General  Benedict  Arnold  never  appeared  to  better 
advantage  than  at  that  time.     Indeed,  one  of  our 

334 


*Miilll«Wii''.'iw''*iiii 


Mtei 


THE  BJiUlNA'ING   OF  THE  END. 


335 


ed  the  regi- 
along  with  a 
the  progress 
for  the  con- 
leading  Mor- 
lines.he  was 
he  men  who 
as  a  natural 
ing,  as   they 
my  were  im- 
riven  back, 
o  check  the 
soon  as  Gen- 
ordered  two 
of  Morgan's 

rs  off  to  the 
iving  to  turn 

ared  to  better 
1,  one  of  our 


best  of  recent  historians  has  declared  that  well  would 
it  have  been  for  Benedict  Arnold  if  he  had  been 
killed  in  the  battle,  or  could  have  died  soon  after 
it  Alas!  for  his  memory.  So  easy  is  it  to  over- 
throw by  one  act  all  that  a  lifetime  of  struggle  and 
goodness  can  build  up.  .     „  ,  . 

General  Arnold  was  acting  with  all  his  custom- 
ary promptness  and  dash.  He  and  his  men  were 
fighting  desperately ;  but  they  were  so  far  outnum- 
bered by  the  British  that  all  their  efforts  were 
unavailing.  And  General  Gates  sent  them  no 
reinforcements  now,  for  reasons  which  will  become 
apparent  as  we  go  on. 

At  last  the  brave  men  were  compelled  to  with- 
draw; but  General  Arnold  at  once  saw  the  advan- 
tage which  the  woods  afforded,  and  by  a  rapid 
countermarch  he  quickly  turned,  and  with  all  his 
impetuosity  advanced  again  against  the  very  cen- 
tre of  the  British,  where,  as  we  know.  General  John 
Burgoyne  was  himself  commanding  in  person.  And 
Arnold  called  upon  his  men  to  follow,  and  with  all 
the  fury  of  a  man  beside  himself  rushed  upon  the 

^"hSs  men  bravely  responded,  and  as  they  were 
soon  strengthened  by  the  timely  arrival  of  some  of 
the  New  England  troops,  they  held  their  ground. 

The  contest  soon  became  fearful.  All  the  pas- 
sions of  mankind  seemed  to  be  let  loose.  Now  one 
side  would  apparently  gain  a  slight  advantage  and 
again  the  other  side  would  gain.     The  effect  of  the 


336 


Tli'O    YOUNii   I'ATmOTS. 


reinforcements  upon  either  side  would  at  once  be- 
come manifest. 

Stubbornly  fighting  the  ground  almost  inch  by 
inch,  pushed  back  by  the  other  side,  the  men  would 
rally  and  advance  with  fresh  courage,  whenever 
their  new  comrades  joined  them. 

Burgoyne's  left  was  unable  to  render  much  assist- 
ance, and  while  General  Fraser  gave  the  British  all 
the  aid  in  his  power,  it  had  not  been  deemed 
advisable  for  him  to  leave  the  high  ground  which 

he  occupied. 

The  British,  however,  brought  their  artillery 
into  play,  and  as  the  afternoon  wore  on,  the  Baron 
de  Riedesel  advanced  to  their  aid  with  many  of  the 
Hessian  troops;  but  the  Americans  could  not  be 

dislodged. 

Still  the  awful  struggle  continued.  Hour  fol- 
lowed hour,  but  no  sign  of  yielding  on  either  side 
had  yet  appeared.  One  side  was  as  determined  as 
the  other,  and  both  realized  fully  what  a  victory 
or  defeat  would  mean.  The  sun  sank  lower  and 
lower,  and  the  blood-red  color  of  the  sky  seemed 
almost  like  a  reflection  of  the  ground  over  which 
the  contestants  were  moving.  The  groans  of  the 
wounded  were  heard  on  every  side,  but  even  their 
own  friends  were  seldom  able  to  afford  any  aid  or 
relief,  for  the  struggle  was  desperate  and  the  loss  of 
a  moment  of  time  might  be  fatal. 

At  last  the  darkness  crept  on,  and  the  end  came ; 
for  the  night  could  accomplish  what  the  arms  of 


THE   BECWNIMG   OF  THE  END. 


337 


t  once  be- 
st inch  by 
men  would 
,  whenever 

luch  assist- 
:  British  all 
en  deemed 
ound  which 

;ir  artillery 
I,  the  Baron 
nany  of  the 
)uld  not  be 

Hour  fol- 
either  side 
;termined  as 
at  a  victory 
c  lower  and 
sky  seemed 
over  which 
roans  of  the 
X  even  their 
d  any  aid  or 
id  the  loss  of 

le  end  came ; 
the  arms  of 


either  side  were  unable  to  do.  I  he  roa,  of  the 
guns  ceased,  the  moving  columns  no  longer  ad- 
vaneed  or  retreated,  and  the  end,  at  least  for  the 

"Te  Amer^rretired  from  the  field  under  cover 
of  the  d.arkness.  No  one  pursued  "--J  »"'"^;;^ 
was  no  disorder  in  their  appearance.  Tlcy  moved 
silently,  it  is  true,  and  there  were  no  shouts  or  songs 
o  V  ctorv  Yet  they  claimed  the  victory  as  theirs, 
because  'hey  had  m'et  and  held  the   British  from 

'"'m  "fritish,  however,  claimed  that  the  victory 
was  theirs,  b.^r..se  they  had  -tamed  the  field    bu 
there  was  slight  consolation   m  that  fact,  for  the 
field  was  barren,  and  the  glory  of  the  battle  was 
hardly  to  be  called  theirs.  ,    ,  i,.,j   been 

The  forces  engaged  in  the  contest  had  been 
nearly  equal,  the  Americans  having  aboiit  three 
"hous'nd\e„,  and  the  British  about  five  hundred 

■"The  loss  of  the  Americans  in  killed  wounded 
and  mislg  was  about  three  hundred,  while  that  of 
T.  Britishlas  about  six  hundred;  but  the  carnage 
among  the  latter  was  far  greater.  They  had  lost 
Tore  omcers  than  had  the  Americans  and  some 
S    their    regiments    had    been    almost    cut    into 

'■'Sne  regiment,  the  sixtysecond,  which  had  come 

from  Canada  with  five  hundred  men,  went  out  of 

he^attle  with  less  than  sixty  effective  men  remain- 


33?5 


■JiyO   YOUXG   rATKlOTS. 


ing,  and  only  four  or  five  officers ;  while  one  artillery 
corps  had  lost  thirty-six  of  its  forty  eight  men. 

On  the  following  day,  both  armies  began  to 
work  to  strengthen  their  positions.  The  British 
were  still  hoping  for  aid  from  General  Howe,  but 
no  word  had  come  of  his  advance.  They  were 
governed  by  the  hope  that  this  aid  still  would 
come  before  it  should  be  too  late,  and  were  de- 
termined  to  hold   their  ground  at  every   possible 

cost.  ,  J 

The  Americans  were  doing  their  utmost  to  hold 
the  British  where  they  then  were  and  prevent  them 
from  pushing  on  to  Albany.  The  motives  for  quick 
action  in  either  army  were  therefore  urgent,  and 
in  both  lines  they  labored  with  desperate  haste. 
Works  were  thrown  up  on  the  western  flanks  of 
the  armies,  while  on  the  left  they  were  doing  their 
utmost  to  protect  their  baggage  and  stores  on  the 

It  is  necessary  now  for  us  to  pause  and  consider 
a  trouble  which  had  arisen  among  the  Americans. 
As  we  have  already  seen,  General  Gates  had  refused 
to  send  reinforcements  to  Benedict  Arnold,  when 
the  latter  had  been  bravely  striving  to  check  the 
advance  of  the  British,  and  the  reason  for  this:  fail- 
ure was  well  known  at  the  time. 

Congress  had  removed  General  Philip  Schuyler 
from  the  command  of  the  northern  army,  and  placed 
General  Horatio  Gates  in  his  place.  Gates  was  in 
no   way   the   equal   of  Schuyler.      He   lacked   his 


77/A    HEGIlVNtXC   01-    THE   END. 


339 


c  artillery 
len. 

began  to 
c  British 
^owe,  but 
hey  were 
:ill  would 
were  cle- 
r   possible 

st  to  hold 
vent  them 
^  for  quick 
•gent,  and 
■ate  haste. 
I  flanks  of 
oing  their 
res  on  the 

d  consider 
Americans, 
lad  refused 
nold,  when 
check  the 
)r  this:  fail- 

p  Schuyler 
and  placed 
ates  was  in 
lacked   his 


ability,  his  largeness  of  heart  and  mind,  and  was  m 
every  sense  of  the  word  a  much  smaller  man. 

That  Congress  should  have  taken   such   action, 
to-day  seems  very  strange  to  us,  but  great  as  many 
of  the  men  of  that  time  doubtless  were,  they  were 
still  as  easily  swaved  in  some  ways  as  any  of  our 
modern  statesmen,  vhom  we  sometimes  hea)  spokerj 
of  as  being  sadly  degenerate.     A  careful  ar-  i  candid 
comparison,  however,  is  not  always  to  the  disadvan- 
tage of  the  men  of  our  own  times.     There  is  always 
a  tendency  on  the  part  of  some  to  magnify  the  men 
and  deeds  which  are  seen  at  a  distance,  and  minimize 
those  which  are  nearer.     Perhaps  the  cause  in  part 
may  be  found  in  that   knowledge  we  have  of  the 
weak  points,  as  well  as  of  the  good,  in  those  men 
whom   we   personally  know,  while   of   the  distant 
and  the  dead  the  evil  is  either  forgotten  and  un- 
known, or  else  is  not  reported.     At  least,  we  hear 
chiefly  of  the  good,  and  are  prone  to  ignore  the  bad. 
A  clique  had  been  formed  among  some  of  the 
prominent  men  of    I777.  which  was  compo  ,ed  of 
those   who   were   strongly  opposed   to  pernitting 
General  Washington  to  remain  at  the  head  of  the 
American  army.     It  is  a  source  of  great  romfort 
to-day,  to  those  who  are  struggling  amidit  heavy 
and  pressing  difficulties,  to  know  that   the   great 
Washington  himself  had  not  only  to  meet  the  enemy 
in  the  field,  but  that  he  was  beset  by  perils  from 
those  to  whom  he  had  naturally  a  right  to  look  for 
support  and  aid.      But  as  envy  is  ever  the  price 


Q  rtVO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 

which  a  successful  man  must  pay  for  his  success, 
so  Georcre  Washington  himself  was  not  to  escape 

This  clique,  which  was  opposed  to  him  Nvas  made 
up  of  Generals  Lee,  Conway,  Gates,  and  Mifflu ,  and 
they  were  aided  by  many  of  the  members  of  Congress 
from  New  England,  of  whom  James  Lovell  was  tr.c 
leader  The  band  came  to  be  familiarly  known  as 
the  "  Conway  Cabal,"  but  to-day  no  one  likes  to  trace 
his  ancestry  back  to  the  men  who  composed  it.^ 

It  was  through  the  inHuence  of  this  "  cabal    that 
the  removal  of  Philip  Schuyler  was  brought  to  pass; 
for  Schuyler  was  known  as  a  warm  and  personal 
friend  of  George  Washington,  and  in  him  the  great 
commander,  rightly  as  we  know  now,  reposed  the 
utmost  confidence.     Benedict  Arnold  with  all  the 
warmth   of  his   impulsive  nature,  had   boldly  and 
openly  taken  sides  with  Schuyler.     He  admired,  as 
he  believed  in,  the  man,  .nd  the  injustice  w.th  which 
he  was  being  treated  roused  all  Kis  indignation  and 
righteous  wrath,  and  he  was  at  no  pains  to  conceal 
his  real  feelings. 

The  petty  jealousy  of  General  Gates  was  at  once 
aroused  when  he  joined  the  northern  army  and 
learned  of  Arnold's  bold  words  and  bolder  feelings. 
Not  only  did  the  commander  not  afford  bim  any 
assistance  in  his  time  of  peril,  but  he  tried  resolutely 
to  create  an  impression  that  Arnold  had  not  done 
anything  worthy  of  special  note  or  mention 

Benedict  Arnold  was  not  .me  to  submit  tamely 
to  what  he  considered  an  injustice,  and  many  warm 


*«MMM 


iii»fc.niiiii.m 


success, 

[escape. 

Ivas  made 

[ifflir ,  and 

[Congress 

11  was  the 

nown  as 

;s  to  trace 

ed  it. 

ibal "  that 

it  to  pass; 

I  personal 

I  the  great 

;posed  the 

ith  all  the 

joldly  and 

idmired,  as 

With  which 

nation  and 

to  conceal 

'as  at  once 
army  and 

er  feelings. 

i  him  any 
rcNolutely 

1  not  done 

3n. 

nit  tamely 

lany  warm 


iHE  BEGINNING   OF   THE  END 


341 


words  and  harsh  letters  soon  passed  between  him 
and  General  Gates,  and  the  result  of  it  all  was  that 
Morgan's  riflemen  and  Major  Dearborn's  light  in- 
fantry, who  were  considered  as  almost  the  choicest 
troops  of  the  northern  army,  were  withdrawn  from 
Arnold's  command. 

The  petty  general  even  went  farther;  for  at  last  he 
removed  Arnold  himself  from  all  command,  and  even 
excluded  him  from  headquarters,  taking  command 
himself  of  the  left  wing.  This  honor,  however,  he 
soon  after  bestowed  upon  General  Lincoln. 

The  condition  of  the  two  armies  remained  now 
much  as  it  had  been.  There  were  constant  skir- 
mishes and  many  light  attacks  by  riflemen  and 
scouts,  but  no  open  engagement  took  place. 

In  the  British  camp,  the  question  of  supplies  was 
constantly  becoming  a  more  serious  one.  If  Bur- 
goyne  retreated  into  Canada,  he  knew  he  would 
leave  the  American  army  free  to  exert  all  its  ener- 
gies against  the  army  of  Howe  or  Clinton,  which  he 
still  firmly  believed  to  be  advancing  up  the  Hudson. 
Besides,  had  he  not  boldly  declared  that  "  Britons 
never  retrograde"?  And  to  the  determined  leader 
it  seemed  almost  impossible  for  him  to  turn  back 
with  such  words  hanging  over  him. 

And  then,  a  retreat  was  full  of  danger  and  diffi- 
culty. The  matter  was  talked  over  many  times  in 
the  councils  which  Burgoyne  called  of  his  officers, 
but  no  one  was  quite  willing  as  yet  to  advocate  that 
measure. 


342 


TPVO    YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


Supplies,  however,  were  becoming  very  low  in  the 
British  camp,  and  there  was  slight  prospect  of  their 
being  increased.  On  the  3d  of  October,  the  sup- 
ply had  become  so  low  that  the  daily  rations  for 
the  men  were  reduced.  Despair  seemed  to  be 
creeping  over  the  entire  army,  and  this  was  aggra- 
vated by  the  constant  and  scattering  attacks  by  day 
and  by  night  from  the  riflemen  of  the  frontier. 

In   General    Burgoyne's  own    report    are    these 
words:   "From  the  20th  of  September  to  the  7th 
of  October  the  armies  were  so  near  that  not  a  single 
night  passed  without  firing  and  sometimes  concerted 
attacks  upon  our  advanced   pickets;    no  foraging 
party  could  be  made  without  great  detachments  to 
cover  it;  it  was  the  plan  of  the  enemy  to  harass  the 
army  by  constant  alarms,  and  their  superiority  of 
numbers  enabled  them  to  attempt  it  without  fatigue 
to  themselves.     I  do  not   believe  eitner  oflficer  or 
soldier  ever  slept  without  his  clothes  during  that 
interval,  or  that  any  general  officer  or  commander 
of  a  regiment  passed  a  single  night  without  bemg 
upon  his  legs  occasionally,  at  different  hours,  and 
constantly  an  hour  before  daylight." 

Still,  John  Burgoyne  was  not  ready  to  give  up. 
His  bold  proclamation,  anv?  bolder  words  to  his  own 
officers,  and  the  promises  of  speedy  victory  which 
he  had  made  to  their  wives,  held  him  back.  Besides 
all  that,  he  was  a  determined  man  and,  with  all  the 
bull-dog  tenacity  of  a  hardy  Englishman,  was  not 
ready  to  ask  for  quarter.     He  decided  to  wait  for 


MHM 


wm* 


■MMM 


THE   BEGINNING   OF  THE  END. 


343 


w  in  the 
of  their 
the  sup- 
;ions  for 
i  to  be 
s  aggra- 
s  by  day 
ier. 
•e    these 

the  7th 
:  a  single 
loncerted 

foraging 
ments  to 
arass  the 
riority  of 
at  fatigue 
officer  or 
ring  that 
mmander 
3ut  being 
ours,  and 

I  give  up. 
:o  his  own 
Dry  which 
,  Besides 
th  all  the 
1,  was  not 
o  wait  for 


to  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who  was  still  in  Ntw 
before  he  decided  what  to  do.  .career 

But  his  forage  was  becoming  scarcer  =»><|  ^c"<=J, 
and  starvation  was  threatening  h-  -^ J^/^  ™^^ 
alike.  His  hesitation  -^J^^^'^'Z  thought 
the   American  hne..    f°'"''""''f  reinforcements 

ircrdrri'-^r'^Thidi^^^^^ 

rougher  and  more  inexperienced  men,  f"  had  come 

in  case  thev  should  appear. 

Aaain  it  was  thought  that  Burgoyne  must  know 
of  tfo";;  coming  to' his  aid  from  New  York^  o 

that  a  movement  on  the  ^-'^^''"^^Vil  in  Hs 
son,  or  away  out  on  the  extreme  left,  was 

"The  Americans  took  all  the  proper  precautions 
to  prevent  the  success  of  such  possible  attempts,  but 
'GeS  Gates  said  not  a  word  about  advancing  »d 
attacking  the  British.  It  was  known  that  they  were 
?itS^?ate  straits,  but  the  policy  of  delaying  seemed 
best  to  the  American  commander. 

His  own  forces,  however,  were  in  a  far  better 
dition  than  he  fully  realized  at  the  time. 


344 


riyo    YOUNG   PATRIOTS. 


then,  that  is  not  the  only  instance  known  in  history 
where  one  man  has  labored  and  another  has  entered 
into  his  labors. 

Benedict  Arnold  also  had  had  no  small  share 
in  bringing  to  pass  the  present  strength  of  the 
American  army.  His  bold,  impetuous  courage,  his 
marked  ability,  and,  above  all,  his  willingness  to  do 
himself  whatever  he  asked  of  his  men  to  do  had 
made  him  the  idol  of  the  soldiers;  and  so  conta- 
gious is  courage  that  his  own  bravery  had  largely 
influenced  the  timid  men,  who,  inexperienced  and 
accustomed  to  regard  the  British  redcoats  as  almost 
invincible,  had  recently  joined  the  ranks. 

The  7th  of  October  came,  and  still  John  Burgoyne 
had  not  received  word  from  New  York.  Something 
must  be  done,  he  now  knew,  and  -"t  once;  and  a 
marked  change  in  his  plans  soon  became  apparent. 


1  history 
i  entered 


ill  share 
I  of  the 
rage,  his 
;ss  to  do 
do  had 

0  conta- 

1  largely 
iced  and 
is  almost 

Jurgoyne 
)mething 
2;  and  a 
pparent. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


THE    FINAL    STRUGGLE. 


It  had  now  been  decided  by  the  British  leaders 
that  it  was  not  advisable  for  the  army  to  remain 
longer  in  its  present  position.  A  movement  against 
theleft  of  the  American  camp  was  therefore  planned, 
both  for  the  purpose  of  discovering  whether  any  re- 
treat or  advance  was  left,  and  also  to  cover  the 
foraging  parties,  whose  labors  were  of  even  greater 
importance  to  the  redcoats  than  any  movement  by 

the  army. 

Accordingly,  after  having  left  forces  on  the 
heights  and  the  plains,  General  Burgoyne  in  per- 
son, and  accompanied  by  some  of  his  ablest 
generals,  with  about  fifteen  hundred  of  his  choicest 
troops,  advanced  and  formed  in  a  place  distant  from 
the  American  lines  only  about  three-quarters  of 
a  mile.  Tories  and  Indians  were  also  sent  forward 
to  call  attention  to  themselves,  and,  if  possible,  hold 
the  Americans  back. 

But  the  American  scouts  were  not  idle;  for  they 
were  watching  every  movement  of  the  enemy,  and 
when  the  latter  formed  about  noon  and  their  "  bat- 

345 


!  : 

i, 


346 


Tiyo  yoVNC  PATHrors. 


n,c„"  l.a.l  bcj-un  tbcir  work  o(  foragins.  lh>^  «1)",'^'."'- 
g;;;,al  of  L  Americans  was  c-dul  y  examnung 
the  men  and  the  position  they  had  taken.  Ihis 
Z,  a  low  ridge  ot  ground,  the  right  be,ng  occupied 
TFraser-s  men,  who  were  slightly  protected  by  a 
crooked  rail-fence,  while  the  Hessians  and  the  gren- 
adiers were  off  on  the  left. 

As  soon  as  word  of  all  this  was  brought  to  Gen- 
eral Gates,  he  ordered  Daniel  Morgans  nflemen  to 
ma  eh  round  through  the  woods  and  gam  the  nght 
"f  the  British,  while  others  of  the  New  England 
and  New  York  troops  were  to  advance  agamst  the 
St  The  forests  protected  the  advancing  rr,en 
;*  belg  seen,  and'it  had  been  -n|e  .^'  ^-JJ^;/, 
were  all  to  fall  together  upon  the  British  forces 

'^^VattTck  began  suddenly  upon  the  left,  and  ^ 
Morgan's  riflemen  at  once  rushed  upon  the  nght  of 
^e  British,  the  engagement  in  a  very  bnef  time 
became  aeneral.  Burgoyne's  forces  were  the  very 
SowTof  h"  army.  The  men  had  all  seen  active 
service,  and  had  been  trained  in  all  the  discipline  of 
army  We,  while  the  men  who  led  them  were  among 
the  ablest  generals  of  that  age.  ,    u  ,^ 

,.  was  not  long,  however,  befo«=  General  Bur_ 
soyne  perceived  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  stand 
Irfore  the  terrible  onslaught.  His  men  were  b«ve. 
but  their  enemies  were  equally  brave  and  were  fight- 
incr  with  a  desperate  courage. 
^He  gave  orders  for  one  of  his  best  regiments  to 


adjutaiit- 
ixamining 
en.  This 
;  occupied 
;cted  by  a 
1  the  gren- 

ht  to  Gen- 
riflemen  to 
ti  the  right 
V  England 
igainst  the 
ncing  men 
d  that  they 
itish  forces 

left,  and  as 
the  right  of 
'  brief  time 
re  the  very 
seen  active 
discipline  of 
were  among 

rcneral  Bur- 
ible  to  stand 
1  were  brave, 
id  were  fight- 
regiments  to 


T7/E  FINAL  STRUGGLE. 


347 


form  a  second  line  to  secure  the  retreat  of  his 
forces  ;  but  while  this  was  being  done,  the  Hessians 
and  grenadiers  off  on  the  left  began  to  give  way, 
and  General  Fraser  was  compelled  to  rush  to  their 

aid. 

While  General  Fraser  was  leading  his  men,  one 
of  Morgan's  riflemen,  who  carried  a  double-barrelled 
rifle  and  whose  skill  as  a  marksman  had  already 
become  well  known  in  the  American  camp,  dropped 
upon  one  knee,  and,  taking  careful  aim  at  the  Brit- 
ish general,  fired.  General  Fraser  fell,  mortally 
wounded,  and  the  rifleman  who  shot  him  was  none 
other  than  our  old  acquaintance,  Timothy  Murphy. 

The  Americans  were  fighting  now  with  skill  and 
determination.  Success  lay  almost  within  their 
grasp,  and  they  were  struggling  desperately  to 
gain  it. 

General  Burgoyne  had  given  fresh  orders  for 
lines  in  the  rear  to  be  formed,  and  at  last  succeeded 
in  withdrawing  his  scattered  forces  to  them,  but  he 
had  left  behind  him  six  pieces  of  artillery,  all  the 
horses  had  been  killed,  and  many  of  his  men  were 
either  wounded  or  dead. 

The  battle,  however,  was  not  yet  ended.  General 
Benedict  Arnold  had  ignored  the  orders  which 
General  Gates  had  given  him  to  keep  out  of  the 
struggle,  and  already  had  been  doing  valiant  ser- 
vice. He  was  rushing  wildly  from  regiment  to 
regiment,  and  his  calls  for  the  men  to  follow  him 
were  everywhere  received  with  cheers  of  unbounded 


348 


TfVO    YOimC   PATKfOTS. 


enthusiasm.     Wh.lcver  the  leaders  m.ght  think  c 
Arnold,  the  men,  at  least,  believed  in  h.m  with  all 
their  hearts.     And  now  he  was  leading   his   men 
against  the  position  which  Burgoyne  had  taken^ 

General  Patterson's  brigade  had  been  driven  back 
when  Arnold,  at  the  head  of  Colonel  Jackson  s  regi- 
ment, advanced  to  the  attack.    Cheers  were  heard 
on  every  side,  and  both  Arnold  and  the  men  seemed 
to  be  almost  mad  with  the  excitement  of  the  battle. 
The  Hessians  abandoned  the   intrenchments  they 
had  been    holding,   under   the  dash   of    Arnolds 
charge,  and  in  a  brief  time  the  right  and  rear  of  the 
British  were  open  to  the  advance  of  the  Americans. 
But  this  battle,  like  that  of  a  few  days  previous, 
was  in  the  late  afternoon,  and  once  more  the  dark- 
ness crept  on  before  the  end  came,  and  at  last  the 
men  could  no  longer  distinguish  friend  from  foe.  the 
guns  became  silent,  the  struggle  was  over,  and  the 

end  had  come.  ,.      ^         i.^ 

This  time,  however,  there  was  no  dispute  as  to 
who  had  been  the  victors,  for  the  Americans  had 
won.  About  six  hundred  of  the  British  were  dead 
wounded,  or  prisoners,  while  only  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  of  the  Americans  were  to  be  so  classed. 

General    Arnold,  however,  had    been    severely 
wounded ;  for  just  as  the  victory  seemed  to  be  won 
a  ball  had  killed  the  horse  on  which  he  was  riding 
and  had  fractured  the  general's  leg. 

The  condition  of  the  British  now  was  more  des- 
perate than  ever  before.   On  the  night  of  October  8th 


think  of 

with  all 
his   men 
aken. 
iven  back 
on  s  regi- 
ere  heard 
:n  seemed 
:he  battle, 
lents  they 

Arnold's 
rear  of  the 
Americans. 
3  previous, 

the  dark- 
at  last  the 
om  foe,  the 
er,  and  the 

ipute  as  to 
iricans  had 
were  dead, 
me  hundred 
I  classed, 
in  severely 
I  to  be  won, 
;  was  riding 

s  more  des- 
OctoberSth 


THE  FINAL  STRUGGLE. 


349 


Burgoyne  changed  his  position,  and  the  victorious 
Americans  occupied  the  camp  he  had  abandoned. 

During  the  following  day  Burgoyne  tried  hard  to 
draw  the  Americans  on  to  make  an  attack;  but, 
whatever  the  faults  of  Gates,  he  well  knew  how  to 
make  use  of  a  victory  and  wisely  declined  the  offer. 
The  sound  of  guns  seldom  ceased,  however,  and  a 
scattering  fire  was  almost  ceaselessly  maintained. 

General  Gates  now  sent  a  detachment  to  Sara- 
toga to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  British  in  that 
direction,  but  the  position  there  was  too  much 
exposed,  and  the  men  soon  moved  to  the  east  bank 

of  the  Hudson. 

Two  thousand  men  were  also  sent  to  Fort  Ed- 
ward to  prevent  a  return  of  the  British  there,  while 
fifteen  hundred  men  were  sent  farther  up  to  hold 

the  fords. 

The  British  were  aware  of  the  march  of  all  these 
men,  but  could  only  conjecture  their  object.  But  at 
about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  8th  they 
quietly,  and  with  great  secrecy,  began  a  retreat  to 
Saratoga.  So  hasty  was  this  that  about  three  hun- 
dred of  the  sick  and  wounded  were  abandoned. 
Through  the  rain  and  mud  the  disheartened  red- 
coats moved,  and  at  last  gained  the  desired  position. 

The  Americans  did  not  move  from  the  camp 
until  the  loth,  and  at  about  four  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon of  that  day  their  advanced  guards  came  m 
sight  of  the  enemy's  position. 

General  Gates  was  for  attacking  it  at  once,  but 


riVO   YOUNG  PATA'/OTS. 

GaSand  the  success  of  the  American  cause  that 
oaies,  iiiiu  Uritish  were  help- 

r:  th   ilr^arifn  h!  had  gained.     Distorted  re- 
'Xtdhee„rec.vedoHhe.,un,b^ 

°ld'';  trX'^d^  b  ^'hetn^that  the  Ameri- 
and  to  Fort  Mw      •  j^^^^sed,  and  was  now 

can  army  had  been  lar^e  j  ,,tillerv     Their 

well  supplied  with  provs.ons  and  »rt'"'-7 

^         -ui      *v,o«    fr»   ittemot   to   make   a  passage 
mpossible,   then   to   atiempi 

S^ttra^rufmtrlttrett^^^^ 
ueorge,  uuv  TVip  scouts  soon  alter 

^;:;rh^:^rmTiurc'w^"M^ 


THE  FINAL  STRUGGLE. 


SSI 


said  that 
-officers; 
position 
name  of 
Luse,  that 
ere  help- 
id  not  be 
;complish 

^ne  called 
cd  before 
itorted  re- 
id  purpo 

the  fordb 
he  Ameri- 
1  was  now 
ry.     Their 
Iritish  gen- 
ropositions 
ncil  finally 
je  to  leave 
and  retreat 
Id  be  found 

a  passage 
de  of  Lake 
•etreat  must 
ts  soon  after 
;  impossible, 

s  hourly  be- 


coming  more  desperate.  On  the  13th  it  was  known 
that  rations  for  only  three  days  remained.  TKre 
was  also  no  "  rum  or  spruce  beer  "  to  be  had  And 
day  and  night  rifle-balls  and  grape-shot  cami  pour- 
ing  into  the  camp.  The  women  had  taken  refuge 
in  the  cellars  of  the  houses.  Fear  and  consterna- 
tion were  on  every  side,  and  there  was  the  constant 
expectation  of  an  advance  by  the  Americans.  Surely 
the  former  proud  boastings  of  "  John  Burgoyne, 
Esquire,"  placed  him  in  a  sad  plight  now. 

On  the  13th  Burgoyne  called  another  council, 
and  placed  before  it  all  they  already  knew  and  what 
he  had  been  able  to  learn  in  addition.  Sadly  and 
reluctantly  it  was  admitted  that  only  a  surrender 
remained  for  them. 

General  Burgoyne  soon  drew  up  a  letter  to  Gen- 
eral Gates  and  at  once  despatched  it  to  the  Ameri- 
can camn.  . 

On  the  following  day  Gates's  reply  was  received. 
He  had  demanded  an  unconditional  surrender.  This 
was  rejected  by  the  brave  and  desperate  men,  and 
Burgoyne's  propositions  were  approved  by  his  fel- 
low-officers. If  they  could  not  surrender  will  hcrirr, 
they  could  at  least  die  without  dishonor. 

On  the  15th,  the  council  was  again  called,  and 
as  General  Gates's  replies  and  modified  demands 
were  considered  honorable  now,  they  were  agreed 

But  John  Burgoyne  now  began  to  delay.  A 
Tory  had  come  with  the  information  that  Clinton's 


352 


TiyO   YOUNG  PATJilOTS. 


army  was  advancing  to  his  aid.  He  did  not  know 
how  reliable  the  word  was,  and  he  was  eager  to  hold 
out  a  little  longer  time.  His  council,  however,  by 
a  vote  of  fourteen  to  eight  decided  that  it  would 
be  dishonorable  now  to  repudiate  their  word.  Had 
they  done  so,  however,  we  now  know  it  would  have 
been    unavailing  ,  for  John    Burgoyne's   army  was 

beyond  help. 

We  must  turn  for  a  moment  and  learn  the  cause 
of  the  delay  in  the  appearance  of  the  troops  which 
were  constantly  looked  for  from  New  York. 

Howe  bad  expected  to  sail  up  the  Hudson,  as  we 
know,  and  meet  Burgoyne  at  Albany.  Had  he 
done  so,  vhe  result  of  Burgoyne's  invasion  might 
have  been  far  different  from  what  it  was;  but  for 
some  reason,  nc\  s  r  understood  even  until  this  day, 
Howe  had  taken  iiis  fleet  and  gone  sailing  off  for 
Chesapeake  Bay.  What  he  did  there  does  not  be- 
long to  this  story,  except  in  so  far  as  he  frustrjited 
Burgoyne's  plans  by  his  failure  to  come  to  his  aid. 

Clinton  had  not  considered  it  safe  to  leave  New 
York  before  the  arrival  of  fresh  troops  from  Eng- 
land, but  these  did  not  come  until  the  29th  of 
September.  Clinton,  well  aware  of  the  desperate 
straits  of  Burgoyne,  then  immediately  sailed  up  the 

Hudson. 

He  easily  outgeneralled  Putnam  and  at  once  took 
Fort  Clinton  and  Fort  Montgomery.  It  is  true,  the 
Americans  bravely  defended  the  posts,  but  the  task 
was  hopeless,  and  both  forts  fell  beneath  the  one 


I 


not  know 
cr  to  hold 
wever,  by 
it  would 
)rd.  Had 
ould  have 
army  was 

the  cause 
ops  which 
■k. 

son,  as  we 
Had  he 
iion  might 
is;  but  for 
il  this  day, 
ing  off  for 
oes  not  be- 
;  frustrated 
0  his  aid. 

leave  New 
from  Eng- 
le  29th  of 
;  desperate 
iled  up  the 

t  once  took 

is  true,  the 

)ut  the  task 

ith  the  one 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


14.0 


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Fhotographk) 

ScMices 

CarporatiQn 


as  WBT  MAM  STMIT 

WIISm,N.Y.  145M 
(7U)t7a-4S03 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICIVIH 

de 


Canadian  Instituta  for  Historical  l^icroraproductiont  /  Inttitut  Canadian  da  microraproductiona  hiatoriquaa 


THE  FINAL  STRUGGLE. 


353 


heavy  blow.  General  James  Clinton  and  his  brother 
George  were  in  command  of  the  places,  and  they 
escaped  up  the  river. 

At  about  noon  on  October  loth,  a  horseman,  evi- 
dently in  desperate  haste,  approached  General  Clin- 
ton's quarters.  When  the  sentinel  challenged  him, 
he  had  hastily  replied,  "  I  am  a  friend  and  seek 
General  Clinton." 

This  horseman  was  a  messenger  the  British  Gen- 
eral Clinton  had  despatched  with  a  message  for 
General  Burgoyne,  but  the  poor  man  did  not  know 
there  was  an  American  General  Clinton  also. 

He  immediately  discovered  his  mistake,  however, 
and  was  seen  to  swallow  something  hastily. 

A  good  dose  of  tartar  emetic  was  forced  down 
his  throat,  and  up  came  a  little  silver  bullet,  shaped 
like  a  small  egg.  A  moment  later  the  prisoner 
swallowed  the  bullet  again,  and  declared  he  would 
never  take  another  emetic. 

When  General  Clinton  suggested  that  he  would 
hang  him  and  then  find  the  bullet  by  the  aid  of  a 
knife,  the  prisoner  yielded  and  swallowed  the  nau- 
seous dose.  Up  came  the  silver  bullet  once  more. 
It  was  found  to  be  a  sphere,  and  fastened  together 
by  a  little  screw.  It  was  quickly  opened,  and  on  a 
piece  of  very  thin  paper  the  following  note  was 
read :  — 

Fort  Montoomery,  October  8,  1777. 

Nous  y  void,  and  nothing  now  between  us  and  Gates.    I  sin- 
cerely hope  this  little  success  of  ours  may  facilitate  your  operations. 

3A 


•mmmmm 


354 


TWO  YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


In  answer  to  your  letter  of  the  aSth  of  September,  by  C.  C,  I 
shall  only  say,  I  cannot  presume  to  order,  or  even  to  advise,  for  rea- 
sons obvious.    I  heartily  wish  you  success. 

Faithfiilly  yours, 

H.  CUNTON. 
GETfERAL  BtlROOYNE. 

The  prisoner  was  soon  after  hanged,  having 
been,  as  one  has  expressed  it,  condemned  out  of  his 
own  mouth.  His  letter  was  immediately  sent  to 
General  Gates,  and,  doubtless,  the  knowledge  that 
Clinton  was  advancing  and  was  now  so  near  had 
much  to  do  with  influencing  the  American  general 
to  modify  his  demands  upon  General  Burgoyne. 

On  the  1 6th  of  October  the  articles  were  signed, 
and  on  the  following  day  General  Burgoyne  went 
with  Colonel  Wilkinson  to  the  green  in  front  of  old 
Fort  Hardy  on  the  north  bank  of  Fish  creek,  where 
it  was  decided  that  the  army  should  lay  down  their 
arms.  The  British  general  then  requested  that  he 
might  go  on  to  the  headquarters  of  the  American 

army. 

He  was  in  full  uniform  and  was  accompanied  by 
his  aids  and  adjutant-general  when  he  was  met  by 
General  Gates  at  the  head  of  the  camp. 

When  the  British  commander  had  come  "  within 
a  sword's  length  "  of  General  Gates,  he  halted,  and, 
aftar  he  had  been  introduced  by  Colonel  Wilkinson, 
said,  "  The  fortune  of  war,  General  Gates,  has  made 
me  your  prisoner." 

"  I  shall  always  be  ready,"  replied  General  Gates, 


i'ly^fmtfl'i;!*- 


"•CI 
for  rea- 


HON. 

having 
'  of  his 
lent  to 
je  that 
ar  had 
general 
rne. 

signed, 
le  went 
t  of  old 
:,  where 
rn  their 
that  he 
tnerican 

nied  by 
met  by 

"  within 
ted,  and, 
ilkinson, 
las  made 

d  Gates, 


THE  FINAL  STRUGGLE. 


35S 


"to  bear  testimony  that  it  has  not  been  through 
any  fault  of  your  excellency." 

The  other  officers  with  him  were  then  presented, 
and,  doubtless,  many  more  high-sounding  speeches 
were  made,  but  none  of  them  could  disguise  the 
fact  that  the  great  northern  army,  led  by  the  great 
General  Burgoyne,  had  surrendered,  and  the  inva- 
sion was  at  an  end. 

When  the  appointed  time  at  length  arrived,  the 
British  troops  marched  forth  from  their  camp  to  the 
green  and  there  deposited  their  arms,  and  emptied 
their  cartridge  boxes.  Then  they  at  once  formed 
in  line  and,  under  an  escort  of  dragoons,  passed 
through  the  American  camp,  the  band,  all  the  while, 
playing  the  stirring  strains  of  "Yankee  Doodle." 

In  advance,  rode  General  Gates  and  his  staff,  with 
the  leading  officers  and  their  suites.  The  music 
was  the  only  sound  to  be  heard.  There  were  eager 
expressions  upon  many  of  the  rugged  faces  in  the 
American  lines  as  the  procession  passed,  and  we 
are  told  that  manv  an  eye  was  wet  with  terrs. 

The  "  invincible  host "  had  fallen.  All  the  boast^ 
ings  of  John  Burgoyne  had  failed.  His  soldier^  were 
all  prisoners,  and  the  invasion  was  at  an  end.  No 
more  high-sounding  proclamations  were  to  be  made, 
no  more  promises  of  the  aid  and  tender  mercies  of 
the  British.  The  colonies  had  won  in  the  cam- 
paign, and  the  spirits  of  the  struggling  patriots  rose 

high. 

When  the  head  of  the  sad  and  silent  procession 


n'Wk'jiiy«S'.M!*'H..^"'*"*'''l''" 


-^ 


\  i 


fE'*tfB*BHWBBByy^~' 


356 


TfVO  YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


arrived  at  the  spot  where  the  American  generals 
were  standing,  General  Burgoyne  stepped  back  and 
drew  his  sword,  and  there,  in  the  presence  of  both 
armies,  presented  it  to  General  Gates. 

The  American  general  received  it,  held  it  a  mo- 
ment, and  then,  courteously,  returned  it  to  his  foe. 
Five  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty-three  men 
and  officers,  and  all  the  guns  and  munitions  of  war, 
thus  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  victors.  Surely  it 
was  a  great  day  for  the  new  nation,  and  the  1 7th 
of  October,  1777,  will  never  be  forgotten  as  long  as 
the  United  States  shall  endure,  which,  let  us  hope, 
will  be  for  centuries  to  come. 


erals 
:  and 
both 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


* 


I  II 


CONCLUSION. 

So  ended  the  famous  invasion  of  John  Burgoyne. 
The  campaign,  upon  which  he  had  entered  with 
such  high  hopes,  had  brought  him  only  loss  and 
ruin.  Its  effects  upon  the  struggling  nation  were 
at  once  marked  and  marvellous,  and  a  new  hope 
seemed  to  possess  all.  The  Tories  in  the  region 
lost  heart,  and  the  Whigs  became  correspondingly 
elated.  The  Continentals  had  been  able  to  with- 
stand the  well-trained  European  soldiers,  and  their 
generals  had  proven  themselves  more  than  a  match 
for  the  leaders  from  across  the  sea. 

General  Schuyler  had  returned  to  the  camp  and, 
great-hearted  man  that  he  was.  displayed  no  petti- 
ness, now  that  the  victory  had  been  won  by  another ; 
although  he  must  have  known  what  we  all  know 
now,  that  his  own  labors  and  plans  had  been  the 
foundation  of  it  all. 

The  British  soldiers  all  unite  in  declaring  that 
they  were  treated  with  respect  by  the  American 
soldiers,  as  well  as  by  their  leaders.  The  wives  of 
the  generals  came  from  Saratoga,  where  they  had 

357 


i  ! 


11,       'S 


USm 


3 


358 


TWO  YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


been  in  dire  suspense  and  danger  and  had  taken 
refuge  for  days  in  cellars.  The  Baroness  de  Riede- 
sel  has  left  an  account  of  it  all,  and  her  letters,  we 
can  assure  our  readers,  are  as  interesting  as  they 
are  valuable,  and  are  well  worth  the  time  and  study 
of  all  who  are  interested  in  this  period  of  our  nation's 
history.  i 

A  dinner  followed  the  surrender,  and  the  barones$ 
describes  the  kindness  with  which  General  SchuyleV 
not  only  provided  for  her  comfort,  but  invited  her- 
self, her  husband,  and  children  to  become  his  guests 
at  Albany. 

Burgoyne  was  there  in  the  same  capacity,  also,  for 
some  days,  and  he,  too,  bears  witness  to  the  gentle 
spirit  and  courteous  treatment  which  General 
Schuyler  and  his  wife  gave  them. 

The  British  general  appreciated  his  treatment  the 
more  because  it  had  been  by  his  own  orders  that 
Schuyler's  country  place  had  been  burned.  What 
General  de  Riedesel  must  have  thought  is  not 
known ;  but,  as  he  had  expected  to  receive  General 
Schuyler's  estates  as  a  part  of  his  own  reward  for 
his  share  in  the  campaign,  his  feelings,  when  he 
became  ^  giiest  of  the  American  general,  may  well 
be  imagined. 

The  captured  army  was  soon  sent  on  to  Boston, 
but  its  treatment  there  is  something  of  which  our 
'nation  has  no  cause  to  be  proud.  Delay,  charge, 
and  counter-charge  followed,  and  few  exchanges 
were  then  made.     The  troops  were  held  in  the 


I 


il. 


CONCLUSION. 


359 


taken 
Riede- 
;rs,  we 
s  they 
1  study 
ation's 

ironesjs 

:huyleir 

ed  her- 

guests 

lIso,  for 

gentle 

jeneral 

lent  the 
;rs  that 
What 
is  not 
General 
/ard  for 
hen  he 
lay  well 

Boston, 
lich  our 

charge, 

ichanges 

in  the 


vicinity  of  Boston  until  the  autumn  of  1778,  when 
they  were  all  sent  to  Virginia.  Drafts  were  made 
upon  them  for  exchange,  from  time  to  time,  but, 
in  the  end,  many  of  them  settled  in  the  new  coun- 
try after  the  war  was  ended.  This  was  especially 
true  of  the  Hessians,  and  many  of  the  detested 
"Dutch  butchers"  became  true  and  loyal  citizens  of 
I  the  new  nation. 

John  Burgoyne  was  sent  back  to  England,  and» 
to  his  credit  be  it  said,  he  in  public  and  private  ex- 
pressed many  times  his  high  appreciation  of  the 
character  of  many  of  the  leaders  in  the  rebellion. 
Of  Philip  Schuyler  he  had  always  a  very  high  opin- 
ion, and  for  him  he  especially  spoke  many  words  of 
praise  and  appreciation. 

Clinton,  when  he  learned  of  the  fall  of  Burgoyne, 
turned  back  to  New  York ;  and  Ticonderoga  and 
Crown  Point  were  soon  after  abandoned,  thus  again 
falling  into  the  hands  of  the  army  without  a  drop 
of  blood  being  shed,  or  a  gun  fired. 

General  Fraser,  after  he  had  been  shot  by  Timo- 
thy Murphy,  and  when  he  knew  that  he  must  soon  die, 
had  requested  that  his  body  might  be  buried  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  on  the  redoubt  on  the  hill. 
The  request  was  granted,  and  the  retreat  was 
delayed  for  that  purpose.  In  the  midst  of  a  henvy 
fire  from  the  Americans,  who  were  of  course  ignorant 
of  what  was  occurring  in  the  enemy's  lines,  the  gen- 
erals and  their  retinues  followed  the  remains  of  the 
brave  man  to  the  spot  which  had  been  selected. 


""sNWJT'^^Trrr 


rfiW^'^'i'-li'ifcilii*- 


1 


3^ 


riVO  VOVNG  PATRIOTS. 


Of  the  scene  Burgoyne  himself  said :  "  The  in- 
cessant cannonade  during  the  solemnity;  the  stately 
attitude  and  unaltered  voice  with  which  the  chaplain 
officiated,  though  frequently  covered  with  dust  which 
the  shot  threw  up  on  all  sides  of  him ;  the  mute  but 
expressive  mixture  of  sensibility  and  indignation  upon 
every  countenance, — these  objects  will  remain  to  the 
last  of  life  upon  the  mind  of  every  man  who  was 
present." 

Jairus  Goodwin  had  been  shot  in  the  first  battle. 
He  had  fallen  insensible,  and  his  friend  Jeremiah 
Thatcher,  who  was  with  him,  had  at  last  succeeded 
in  carrying  the  unconscious  lad  to  the  rear.  There 
he  nursed  him  tenderly,  and  in  the  course  of  a 
few  days  succeeded  in  carrying  him  away  from 
the  scenes  of  battle  to  an  old  house  near 
Albany. 

Jairus  was  unconscious  during  many  days,  and 
when  first  he  became  dimly  aware  of  what  was 
going  on  about  him,  it  seemed  to  him  that  two 
persons  were  caring  for  him  —  one  very  like  his 
mother,  and  the  other  strangely  resembling  the  lass, 
Miss  Prudence.  It  was  some  time  before  he  became 
positive  that  he  was  not  dreaming.  His  mother 
surely  was  before  him,  but  when  he  tried  to  speak, 
she  gently  placed  her  hand  upon  his  mouth  and 
bade  him  be  silent. 

As  soon  as  he  was  a  little  stronger,  she  told  him 
her  story.  On  the  morning  when  the  boys  had  so 
strangely  disappeared  from  their  home,  she  had 


,-->/:' 


1. 


^ 


COA^LUSION. 


361 


waited  vainly  for  their  return,  and  at  last  had 
gone  to  the  sheep-pen.  She  had  approached  at 
the  very  time  when  the  Indians  had  stopped  there, 
but,  catching  a  glimpse  of  them,  had  concealed 
herself  in  the  thick  underbrush  and  waited.  After 
their  departure,  she  was  surprised  at  the  appearance 
of  the  only  family  near  them,  who  were  making 
their  way  to  Albany  for  safety.  Assured  that  the 
boys  had  been  carried  away,  she  had  sorrowfully 
joined  the  escaping  family,  and  had  succeeded  in 
making  her  way  to  Albany,  where  she,  with  many 
others,  came  under  the  immediate  protection  of 
Mistress  Catherine  Schuyler.  She  was  there  when 
Prudence  came,  and  in  some  strange  way  the  knowl- 
edge of  their  acquaintance  with  Jairus  became  known 
to  each  other.  Had  Jairus  seen  the  girl  then,  he 
would  have  had  slight  cause  to  feel  angered  at  her 
lack  of  interest  in  him ;  for  Prudence  never  seemed 
to  tire  of  the  one  topic  of  conversation. 

When  Jeremiah  had  succeeded  in  bringing  the 
wounded  Jairus  there,  he  had  met  Mistress  Pru- 
dence soon  after  very  unexpectedly,  with  the  result 
that  the  lad  secured  the  care  of  two  nurses  instead 
of  one,  and  consequently  improved  rapidly,  while 
Jeremiah  went  back  to  join  the  army. 

A  change  seemed  to  come  over  Prudence  as 
Jairus  regained  his  strength,  and  again  she  seemed 
to  him  to  be  ever  ready  to  make  sport  of  him. 
The  lad  was  sadly  troubled  by  this,  but  his  mother 
only  smiled  as  she  saw  his  irritation.     Perhaps  she 


3^ 


r 


369 


TIVO  YOUNG  PA  7  RIOTS. 


understood  girls  better  than  he  did,  and  was  not  so 
puzzled  to  account  for  the  change. 

The  change  could  not  have  been  a  serious  one, 
however ;  for  about  four  years  later,  in  the  clearing 
by  the  lake,  on  which  a  new  and  better  house  had 
been  erected,  there  were  two  women  who  rejoiced 
in  the  title  of  Mistress  Goodwin.  One  of  these  was 
the  matronly  mother  of  our  boys,  and  the  other  a 
brief  time  before  had  been  Mistress  Prudence. 

And  Jairus  did  not  return  to  the  army.  His 
wound  had  been  a  severe  one,  and  rendered  him 
unfit  for  the  service,  and  he  had  given  all  his  time 
and  strength  to  the  work  on  the  frontier. 

Samuel,  however,  had  gone  on  with  the  forces, 
and,  after  many  strange  adventures  and  experiences, 
had  returned  and  taken  to  himself  the  old  home  in 
Vermont ;  for  his  Tory  uncle  had  relinquished  all 
claim  to  it,  doubtless  glad  to  escape  any  notice  at 
the  time.  For  Tories  of  every  kind  and  degree 
were  not  in  the  least  popular  among  the  newly 
made  states. 

Of  Arthur  Goodwin  little  was  heard.  He  had 
returned  to  his  father  and  his  home,  and  took  no 
further  part  in  the  struggle.  But  his  friendship  for 
his  cousins  was  never  renewed,  and  doubtless  they 
were  able  to  bear  up  cheerfully  under  the  loss.  The 
only  meetings  he  had  ever  had  with  Prudence  had 
been  during  his  experience  in  the  invasion,  and  for 
those,  after  he  understood,  Jairus  cared  little. 

David  Jones  never  entirely  recovered  from  the 


'simmmm^.*mtii^Mtmmr^<tr 


\ 


not  so 


newly 


*««WRf5HSSJif" 


\ 


CONLLVSION. 


363 


shock  caused  by  the  tragic  death  of  Jane  M'Croa. 
He  lived  for  a  half-century,  and  the  sad  story  was 
told  by  him  many  a  time  at  the  firesides  on  the 
frontier.  Indeed,  the  tale  seems  to  have  lost  none 
of  its  interest  even  at  the  present  day. 

Timothy  Murphy  remained  in  the  region  long 
after  the  war  was  ended.  His  fleetness  and  his 
strength  became  famous,  but  he  was  known  best  of 
all  for  his  skill  with  his  wonderful  double  rifle.  He 
seemed  to  cherish  a  special  hatred  against  the 
Indians,  and  soon  came  to  be  regarded  by  them  with 
awe.  As  more  than  forty  of  them  had  fallen  by  his 
own  hand,  to  say  nothing  of  those  whom  his  terrible 
double  rifle  slew  in  battle,  they  had  abundant  cause 
to  remember  the  rifleman,  who,  to  the  day  of  his 
death,  bore  upon  the  shield  of  his  hunting-shirt 
those  strange  words,  "Liberty  or  Death";  and  at 
last  he  won  both. 

When  peace  came,  there  was  one  place  Timothy 
Murphy  loved  best  of  all  to  visit,  and  that  was  a 
home  on  a  clearing  far  up  on  the  western  shore  of 
Lake  Champlain.  He  never  ceased  to  love  the 
boys,  but  when  there  came  a  little  lad  into  Jairus's 
home  who  rejoiced  in  the  name  of  "Timothy 
Murphy  Goodwin,"  the  large-hearted  Irishman's 
joy  knew  no  bounds.  For  hours  at  a  time  he 
would  follow  the  little  fellow  about,  and  as  he 
grew  he  watched  him  with  never-failing  delight. 

On  the  rude  door  of  his  home,  Jairus  had  tacked 
a  paper  on  which  were  written  the  following  items : 


n 


■-.Ai:mXt&l* 


jg^  TWO  YOUNG  PATP.IOTS. 

The  Advance  or  John  Burgoyne,  Esquire. 

Arrives  at  Quebec .    .     •    .  May  6,  1777. 

Receives  ccmmand  of  the  army  from   General   Carleton   at 

Quebec  .    .  r.    .    .    .  May  10,  1777. 

Montreal May  la,  17 77- 

Three  Rivers May  15-June  7,  1777. 

FortCharably June  lo-June  14, 1777. 

IsleauNoix June  15,  1777. 

Cumberiand  Head     .    .    .  June  17-June  ao,  1777. 

River  Bouquet  .    ....  June  ai-June  a8,  1777. 

Crown  Point     .....  June  ag-June  30,  1777. 

Four  Mile  Point    ....  July  i,  1 777- 

Ticondeioga     ....  July  i-July  6,  1777. 

Skenesborough  .         .    .    .  July  7-July  as,  1777. 

Fort  Anne July  aS-July  a8,  i777- 

Pitch-pine  PUins  ....  July  a9, 1777. 

Fort  Edward July  jo-August  13,  1777. 

Duer's  house  (Fort  Miller)  .  August  14-September  10,  1777. 

Batten  ^1 September  ii-September  13,  1777. 

Schuyler's  house  (Saratoga)  September  13-September  15,  1777. 

Dovegat  ...'....    September  16,  1777. 

Sword's  house September  17-September  18, 1777. 

Freeman's  house,  on  the  field  of  battle,  September  19,  1777. 

Freeman's  house    ....    September  ao,  1777. 

Camp  on  Freeman's  ferm    .    Septem'uor  ai-October  7, 1777. 

Retreat  of  John  Burcovme,  Esquirc 

Wilbur's  Basin,  near  the  redoubts  at  the  river,  October  8,  1777. 

Dovegat  . October  9-October  10, 1777. 

Saratoga October  lO-October  17, 1.777. 

Half  Moon  .    .    .    .    .    .  October  18, 1777. 

Albany October  i8-October  ao,  1777. 

Worcester,  Mass.   ....  November  4, 1777. 

Marlborough,  Mass.    .    .    .  November  5, 1777. 

Cambridge    ......  November  7,  1777. 

Embarks  for  England      .    .  April  15,  1778. 


.^'  i*^'  i-jjjL-.'.a-J! 


Carleton   at 


71- 

10, 1777. 
ber  13,  1777. 
ber  IS,  1777. 

ber  18,  1777. 
9>  »777- 

r  7.  «777- 


er  8,  1777. 
>,  1777- 
17. 1777. 

10,1777. 


CONCLUSION. 

Before  this  placard  the  large  and  the  small  Timo- 
thy would  stand,  while  the  elder  would  relate  all 
the  details  of  the  famous  invasion  and  retreat.  And 
in  time,  young  Master  Timothy  Murphy  Goodwin 
became  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  story,  per- 
haps at  last  almost  as  familiar  as  many  of  our 
young  readers,  who  are  not  so  fortunate  in  their 

names. 

Of  the  young  sergeant  whom  Jeremiah  and  Jairus 
abandoned  on  the  island,  when  they  laid  violent 
hands  upon  his  cat-boat,  nothing  was  ever  heard. 
Doubtless  he  escaped,  for  he  never  returned  to 
claim  the  boat,  which  Jeremiah  now  considered  as 
his  own.  Many  a  trip  did  he  make  in  it  across  the 
lake  on  his  visits  to  Jairus,  but  his  ownership  was 
never  disputed. 

Alexander  Bryan  was  of  incalculable  assistance  to 
General  Gates,  and,  indeed,  it  was  commonly  re- 
ported that  he  was  the  first  to  bring  the  American 
commander  the  information  of  Burgoyne's  final  ad- 
vance. General  Gates,  however,  forgot  to  mention 
his  name  or  his  assistance  when  he  made  out  his 
reports.  But  then.  General  Gates  had  a  habit  of 
forgetting  the  names  of  those  to  whom  honor  be- 
longed, and  doubtless  the  famous  scout  bore  up 
under  his  neglect,  as  Schuyler,  Arnold,  and  many 
others  were  compelled  to  do. 

The  work  of  Schuyler,  Gates,  Lincoln,  Arnold, 
and  others  was  not  ended;  for  the  war  was  not  over 
when  the  invasion  of  John  Burgoyne  was  crushed. 


5;i 


.■.tWi'BMWiWi' JU  11U..JH-." 


366 


rWO   YOUNG  PATRIOTS. 


Of  some  of  them  our  histories  record  the  bravest 
deeds;  of  others,  silence  is  the  best  portion. 

The  invasion  of  John  Burgoyne  was  ended,  and 
private  and  officer.  Whig  and  militiaman,  had  done 
their  best.  The  story  of  their  struggles  has  come 
down  to  us,  and  we  may  profit  by  their  examples. 
There  is  need  of  the  same  devotion,  the  same 
courage  and  unselfishness,  and  the  same  patriotism 
to-day.  We  can  best  honor  our  honorable  fathers, 
by  upholding  that  which  they  have  bequeathed  to 
us  as  a  noble  heritage ;  for  the  land  for  which  they 
struggled  has  become  ours  without  a  struggle.  We 
can  at  least  strive  to  hold  up  that  to  which  they 
clung  so  desperately  in  the  trying  times  of  Bur- 
goyne's  invasion. 


...  ^j;J;.n^J|U|J^^|aM4U4yiui.UJ^U'»IW»*»*WW»l*M 


r—  ■ 


bravest 

ded,  and 
ad  done 
as  come 
xamples. 
le  same 
itriotism 

fathers, 
athed  to 
lich  they 
rle.  We 
lich  they 

of  Bur- 


w«««SgSP" 


W.  A.  WiUi  &•  Co.,  Publishtrs, 


It  b  a  story  of  three  boy«  who  were  drmwn  into  tne  eveait  oi  ine  i 
excilins.  dean,  and  heebhhil.  and  inatructo  *i«»»outapp^n«  to. 
™nly  ioysTand  no  objectionable  Unniage  or  character  I.  iBUoaucod 
cuurage  and  patriotUm'e.pedally  wUfte  appreciated  to  thii  day.  -A 


War  of  the  Revolution  Series. 

By  Everett  T.  Tomlliuoii. 

rHREE  COLONIAL  BOYS.     A  Story  of  the  Times 
of '76.    368  pp.    Cloth,  11.50. 

It  ia  a  story  of  three  boya  who  were  drawn  into  the  eventt  of  Ae  »*»«•• 'tP^«>»«e' 
.."_    .r!rl'  .-J  k_i.kf..i   ..J  inatnietm  without  aDDaarina  to.     The  heroes  are 

ducad.    The  leaaont  of 
-B—ta»  Tranter  ift. 

r'HJtEE  YOUNG  CONTINENTALS.    A  Story  of 
the  American  Revolution.    364  pp.    Cloth,  #1.50. 

This  Story  U  historically  true.    It  U  the  best  kind  of  a  story  dthcr  for  borsor  girb, 
and  is  an  attSctlve  method  of  teaching  hUtory.-/«.nM/  ^  Admcmtm,,  B-tm,. 

JI/ASHINGTONS  YOUNG  AIDS.    A  Story  of  the 
rr       New  Jersey  Campaign,  I776-I777-    39«  PP-    Cloth,  |i.so. 
The  book  haa  enough  Matory  and  descriptloB  to  give  value  to  Ae  atory  which  ooiht 

•cconM  otSm^  oa  the  prison  ahi|»  ud  pri^n  houaas  of  New  Y°Ai*«  ""•  »' »^ 
rina  T^beiB.  the  tsmpttog  of  the  flesaiaaa,  the  end  of  Fagan  and  hU  band,  etc  - 

''"*Fewbo^'s<^  ol  this  chM  show  so  ckMC  a  stu«^  of  history  combined  with  such 
genbl  story-taUing  power.  —  Tk*  OtUUeh. 

rWO  YOUNG  PATRIOTS.    A  Story  of  Burgoyne's 
Invasion.    366pp.    Cloth,  |i. 50. 

The  cradal  canpakn  te  the  American  struggl*  for  independenca  caine '"  *a  sum. 
mar  ofi  wTiSwoSiJohn  Burgoyna  marched  from  Canada  to  ait  the  rebalUous 
!X2L  MmteandMi^th^  %^  army  tAWi  waa  to  proceed  up  2«wW«y  "f 
ArHvdBoTllMAMicu  forcea  were  brave,  hard  fighten,  and  they  wiwried  and 
gLf!y?iS:  M^hJSSr^l^^aMed  them.  The  history  of  thia  campaign  to  one 
15^  ht2?l!Sl  to  JSTS^aght  out  m  th.j«t  which„.^^''«royounj|p«rtots'' 
took  in  the  avMiuwIdcb  led  up  to  the  surrender  of  Gen 


fCenerel  Bntgoyne  and  Ua  army. 

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OUCCESS.     By  Orison  Swett   Marden.    Author  of 
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Cloth,  I1.25. 
It  to  doubtful  whathar  any 


., books  for  the  young  luiva  appeared  In  modem 

ttmaa  wU^tm  so  A6io«iU*  packed  from  lid  to  lid  with  stittulattog,  uplUtiBg,  and  in- 
SSTmS^SS^SSMp^ooto  written  IwOrta^  ITieretonota 

d&  paraiShBor  a  abl^  Una  ol  uaetosa  mofaUiiag  In  any  of  MjJ^kj;. „      . 

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hatoM^M^iiiM  C^  IwStoct  to  to  spur  the  perpleied  yooth  to  act  the  Columbus 
^ST^Zm^STZa^^SxHSJ  :  to  Urea  him  nit  to  wait  lor  great  opporttmlltoa, 
^  to^I£rSlISI!?«wSS»  and  make  tiem  great,  for  ha  caMot  teU  wbe»  toto  may 
Idw  hto  asaasure  for  a  higher  ptoce. 

fK  A.  mid*  &•  Co.,  Bostm  and  CkUago. 


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Brain  and  Brawn  Series. 

By  WUUuB  Drysdide. 

r'HE   YOUNG  REPORTER.    A  Story  of  Printing 
House  Squara.    300  pp.    Cloth,  #1.50. 

I  commaiKl  A«  book  mmMrrodb.  —  OMm  Rjdi.  »-,_j_, 

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r:^^  J^^^r  -«/:4/Z.    a  story  of  a  Train  Boy.   3a*  PP- 
Cloth,  |i.  so. 

••  Th«  Fut  Hail "  U  OM  of  tha  vary  boat  Amaricaa  booka  for  boya  brouiht  oat  ttU 
«.««     l^rSwT  UMf.  «»"d  bi^o  SttaT  confirmation  of  tUa  aaaertion  &n  *o  fact 

oma,  and  ara  anxioaa  to  know  how  loon  they  are  to  get  •  aaquei.  —  imtJinn mmmwr, 
Ntm  Ytrk. 

T*HE  BEACH  PATROL.    A  Story  of  the  Life-Saving 
Service.    318  pp.    Cloth,  #i.sa 
The  at^  of  B«ratl»a  b  e«eellant^  leaaon  Ineuleatad  of  the  beat.  and.  above  aU. 

Idaab  ofWa  avary  bey  who  U  lo  happy  aa  »»P«»^jiiTf*"'2*^. 
]lt  b  a  atrongbook  for  boya  and  yowig  aien.  -  Bt^alo  Ctmrnnrfat. 

rH&    YOUNG  SUPERCARGO.     A  Story  of  the 
Merchant  Marine.    3Sapp.    Cloth,  #1.50. 
KU  Qiihmii k  a  Ml  "Brain  and  Bi«wn"  boy,  fall  of  eaM*  nd  vlt  ud lonnd 

£hi^SSSr  .Uv.irrqSS.iini^  taiS^^  the  atoT,  hot  that  he 

hoe  aloviBK  and  loyal  atoter  to  phin  from  the  atart. 

Xlie  a«t  of  four  voinaes  in  a  box*  $6.00. 


CtERAPH,  THE  LITTLE  VIOLINISTE.    By  Mrs. 
O    C.  V.  JAMIUON.    300  pp.    Cloth,  |i.so. 

The  eew.  of  A*  ^^^t:^:t^r^^r^^u:!i2^  "^  d-nninf  Mta  of 

the  liiilivtoltatote.  —  Tramter^,  B-ttm. 

m  A.  Wildj  &•  Cc,  Bestm  amd  Ckka^. 
■  *. 


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nting 


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ootthU 
dwfact 
thevol- 
MMlnir, 


saving 


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of  the 


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Mwd*  to 
nt  BiMtt 
at  •  great 
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Travel-Adventure  Series. 

/N  WILD  AFRICA.    Adventures  of  Two  Boys  in  the 
Sahara  Deaert,  etc.   Bv  Thos.  W.  Knox.    325  pp.    Cloth,  I1.50. 
A  Mory  of  mbtorbini  intantt.  —  Botttm/tmrHal. 

Our»ouBgptopI«wlUpronounceU»ni»uaUygood.— /l/toiyr<«»V5«-  _  ^  .,. 
Col.Kom  bu  Mrock  •  popular  note  in  his  btest  vohime.  —  Sfrtnt»*UK*fiiNKan. 

rHE  LAND   OF   THE   KANGAROO.    Bv  Thos. 
W.  Knox.    Adventurca  of  Two  Boys  in  the  Great  Island  Con- 
tinent.    318  pp.    Cloth,  $1.50. 
Hia  daacriptlons  of  tha  natural  Matory  and  botany  of  tha  country  are  very  interest- 

The  actual  truthfubieH  of  the  book  needs  no  gloaa  to  add  to  iu  absorbing  faiterast.— 
Tht  B»oh  JBivr,  Ntm  Ymfk. 

f\VER  THE  ANDES:  or.  Our  Boys  in  New  South 
\J    Amtriea.    Bv    Hezkkiah   Butterwo»th.     368  pp.     Cloth, 

No  writer  of  the  praaent  century  has  dona  more  and  better  service  than  HeieUah 
Bnttenmth  In  the  prodactton  of  helpful  Uleratare  for  the  young.  In  this  volune  he 
writes,  In  his  own  fasdnatiag  way,  of  a  country  too  little  known  by  American  readers.— 

Mr.  BuiterworthU  careful  of  his  historic  facta,  and  then  he  charminriy  interweaves 
his  quaint  stories,  legends,  and  patriotic  adventursa  aa  few  wriurs  can.  —  CkKogt  Inttr- 

The  subiect  is  an  inapiring  one,  and  Mr.  Bntterworth  hiM  done  fuUJustice  to  the 
Ugh  ideals  vAkh  have  iaapinid  the  aMB  of  Sooth  America. —i?«lv>«w  7«''<n!^- 

OST  IN  NICARAGUA  ;  or.  The  Lands  of  the  Great 
Canal.    Bv  Hrzbkiah  Bvttkrwoiith.  395  pp.    Cloth,  |i.so. 

» book  trfdniea  the  wonderful  land  of  Nicangua  and  continoes  the  story  of  the 
swhoeJMlventHres  hi  South  America  are  related  hi «  Over  theAndM."^  Inthis 
lion  book  to  "Over  thi 
Nicamnaa  forests  In  aeaich  of 
■ndeatidol  cave,  and  ia  laacacd  I 
narrative  ia  told  tn  such  a  way  as  1 
the  cUtflaift,  Nicangua,  the  Usiory'of  the  Cenlnl  American  Republics,  and  the  natural 
Uatoiy  of  the  wondMlanda  of  the  ocelot,  the  eonger.  parrots,  and  aMM^tays.  , 

^toce  the  voyage  of  the  Orn-h  U  ugat  mUea  to  readi  Key  West  die  American 
people  have  ew^Xt  would  be%e  vahmdfSeNlcangM  Canal.  The  book  gives  tin 
UMory  of  the  projects  for  die  canal,  and  facts  about  Caatral  America,  and  a  part  of  it 
was  written  in  Coata  Rica.    It  emars  a  new  AeM. 

The  Mt  of  four  votames  io  « lH»,  $6.00. 


Thel 
companion bookto  "Overllm  AndaBt"one  of "iebo^  ttavaWrewhogmw^ into  the 


QUARTERDECK    AND     FOICSLE.     Bv    Molly 
«5^    Elliott  Srawkll.    37319.    Cloth,  #1.35. 

Miaa  Seawell  Ima  done  a  notabU  work  tor  the  young  peoole  of  our  country  in  her 
eaceUent  stories  of  naval  esploits.^„Tbe]r  an  of  Ae  Bad  Oat  caoeM  Oe  rMdw,  no 
matter  whether  yomig  or  <rid,  to  tfariU  wiA  pilda  aad  patriotism  at  tha  deeds  of  dariH! 
of  the  heroes  of  oaraavy. 

W.  A.  WUdt  4*  Cc  Boitam  amd  Chitag: 
% 


JE^ 


»K.  A.  tVM*  *•  Cot  PMtlhktrs. 


Fighting  for  tlie  Flag  Series. 

By  CIMS.  uayard  Nortoa. 

C±ACK  BENS6n'S  LOG:  or.  Afloat  with  thi  Flag  in 
J    '6i.    a8i  pp.    Clotb,>i.as. 


An  «n>.»lU,  taer«tfn.Wrt»l«i«o|y,  .iid«»jth«  ^^  ^,^^'^ 

y  Amtricaii  boy  ana 

ltd  along  th 
..  jior*  tlut « 
Frtu. 


I'loyal  impabn  ol  iMtj  AnMricu  boy  nnd  girl.  —  Tit 


>/  MEDAL  OF  HONOR  MAN;  or.  Cruising  Among 
^    Blockade  XuHturt.    aSopp.    Cloth,  fi.as- 

A  bright.  b«w  m™.1  to  ywk  B«-on'.  Log."  Th.  book  h-  »n««-l  Ihmty 
*A*5Sto,  Mory  for  b^^Sr-  Tkiimmml,  l»diam»hl>»' 

IDSHIPMAN  JACK.    290  pp.    Cloth,  $i.as- 

Jack  It  a  dalightfol  h«ro.andthe  author  haa  mada  Ma  txpartaneaa  and  ad- 

''^**'**"  Th*  «•!  Of  tlif««  volttBK»  lo  •  box,  $a.78. 


M 


GIRL  OE  '76.   By  Amy  E.  Blanchard. 
Cloth,  ft.so. 


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bar  adwolmata  and  pbyfaUow,  Amot  tMght. 


J  SOLDIER  OF  THE  LEGION.    By  Chas.  Lbd- 
A    YARD  Norton.    300  pp.    Cloth,  >i.so. 

Twpbo,HaC«oll5la.«d.Jlr^^  ^  ^ 


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Tha 

Unttad 


ory  BantooB.  aowattoia,  PnddMt  of  the 
udl^Tattaadaat  ttnwgh  Wa,  ima 


Captain  of  Viiginian  Hoiaa.    Ha  It  lawho  talia.tlw  af 


•torya  fawyaaia  aftar FnBidaM 


known  Waat  waa  baaat  by  . 
waaatitt  wlta'and  to  pro' 
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IV.  A.  fViUt  *•  Co.,  BnioH  and  ChUago. 


^si'Mnsss&ssss^smiim,  f^-i]kimi,\n9 


\ 

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npuliw 
If  aver 

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\moHg 

tiMwy 
■ad  ad- 

H  99' 


tnti*  of 

iM,i»tb« 
i«M  with 

ptytf.o* 

ipntBon 
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.  Lbd- 


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Uf*.  «M 

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W.  i<.  W«/rf/  *•  Co.,  Publishtn. 


r'HE  ORCUTT  GIRLS;  or,  One  Term  at  the  Academy. 
By  Charlotte  M.  Vaile.    316  pp.    Cloth,  #1.50. 

A  waU-lold  itoiy  of  ichool  life  which  will  intcreel  iu  leaden  deeply,  and  hold 
before  them  a  high  standard  of  living.  The  heminei  are  channing  girls  and  their 
■dvemuNs  are  described  in  an  entertaining  way.  —  Pilgrim  Ttaektr, 

Mra.  Vidle  gives  us  a  story  here  which  will  become  famous  as  a  descriplinn  of  a 
phase  of  New  Etwland  educational  history  which  has  now  become  a  thing  of  the  past, 
with  an  exception  here  and  there. — BtUon  Tramcrit*. 


CiUE  ORCUTT.    A  Sequel  to  "  The  Orcutt  Girls."     By 
O    Charlotte  M.  Vaile.    330  pp.    Cloth,  $1.50. 

It  is  a  charming  story  from  beginning  to  end  and  is  written  in  that  easy  flowing 
style  which  characterbes  the  best  stories  of  our  best  writers,  —  CkrUliunH'trk. 

It  is  wholly  a  piece  of  good  fortune  for  voung  folks  tlrat  brings  this  book  to  market 
in  such  ample  season  for  the  selection  of  hoUday  gifts.  —  Dtnvtr  RtftAliean. 

The  story  teachsa  a  good  moral  without  any  preaching,  in  fact  it  is  as  good  in  a  way 
M  Miss  Alcott's  hooka,  which  is  high  but  deserved  praise.  —  Ckronklt. 

rHE  M.  M.  C.    A  Story  of  the  Great  Rockies.     By 
Charlotte  M.  Vaile.    232  pp.    Cloth,  $1.25. 

The  pluck  of  the  little  school  teacher,  struggling  against  adverse  circumslaneea,  to 
hold  for  her  friend  the  promisiiig  claim,  which  ne  has  secured  after  years  of  misfortune 
in  other  ventures,  is  well  brought  out.  The  aUnost  resbtless  bad  luck  which  has  made 
"  Old  Hopefull's"  nickname  a  hollow  mockery  still  followed  him  when  a  fortune  was 
almost  witMn  Ms  grasp.  The  little  school  teacher  was,  however,  a  new  element  In  "  Old 
Hopefull's  "  experience,  and  the  result,  as  the  story  shows,  was  most  satisfactory. 

rHE  ROMANCE  OF  DISCOVERY ;  or,  a  Thousand 
Year*  of  Exploratitm,  eU.     By  William   Elliot  Griffis. 
305  pp.    Cloth,  #1.50. 
It  is  a  book  of  pioBt  and  interest  inTohring  a  variety  of  correlated  hislaneea  and 
iofluancea  whidi  Impart  the  flavor  of  the  unexpected.  —  PhihuUlfhia  Pm^Urkm. 
An  intensely  Interesting  narrative  following  well-authenticated  history.  —  TtUictft. 
Boyt  will  rwd  it  for  the  romance  in  It  and  he  delighted,  and  when  they  gat  tfarongh. 


behold!  they  have  read  a  history  of  America.  — ituwAfMr. 

r'ffE  ROMANCE  OF  AMERICAN  COLONIZA- 
TION; OTy  How  the  FottndatioHt  of  Our  Cottntry  Wert  Laid. 
By  Wiluam  Elliot  Griffis.    295  pp.    Cloth,  |i. 50. 

To  tMs  continent,  aeress  a  great  ocean,  came  two  distinct  streams  of  humanilv 
and  two  rival  civiliaitions,— the  one  Latin,  led  and  typifled  by  the  Spanish,  with 
Portugeee  and  French  also,  and  the  other  Germanic,  or  Anglo-Saxon,  led  and  typified 
by  the  English  and  reinforosd  by  Dutch,  German,  and  British  people. 


jt  SON  OF  THE  REVOLUTION.  An  Historical 
jCM.  Novel  of  the  Days  of  Aaron  Burr.  By  Elbridge  S.  Brooks. 
301  pp.    Cloth,  »i.50. 

The  storv  of  Tom  Edwards,  adveatnrer,  aa  it  is  connected  with  Aaron  Burr,  is 
in  every  way  faithful  to  the  lads  of  history.  As  the  story  pngresses  the  reader  will 
wonder  where  the  liae  between  bet  and  fiction  is  to  be  drawn.  Amoikg  the  characters 
that  figure  in  it  are  President  Jefferson,  Oen.  Andrew  Jackson,  General  WUkinaon, 
and  many  other  prominent  government  and  army  oflidala. 

W.  A.  Wild*  ^  Co.,  Boston  tmd  Chitago. 


'jsm%.m^ 


^ 


m  A.  WiU*  A*  Co.,  PnUithtrt. 


ALVERN,  A  NEIGHBORHOOD  STORY.    Bv 
Ellen  DoooLAS  Deland.    34«  PP-    Cloth,  f  1.50. 

J  SUCCESSFUL  VENTURE.    By  Ellen   Douglas 
^    Dbland.    340  PP'    Cloth,  #1.50. 

0»  of  th.  — y  .uc«-.«««  book.  0-t  h.v.  «.-  from  l»r  P~.  which  i.  crtttaly 
•^ "uVl^^^"^^ »«•  "•»«»« ol  rHK» "—•»'» -t«t.l««.ni will b. 

"^ATRINA.     Bv  Ellen  Douglas  Deland.     340  PP- 
/L    Cloth,  lt.50. 

lK«*dwtat  Ajrw-m^^JtojiMrtj^^  Htr  N««  York 

of  htr  Mtwwlmtt.  •»?  •h-WSTfiiSR^SSai  hS  to  «tott  thm  dunng  the  winw. 

dwnSopt  ihr^^thnn  to  aew  Mrtagdi. 

f^OKff  THE  RANGE.    By  Theodora  R.  Jenness. 

_     33«W«    Cloth,  ♦i.aS. 
11- o-iit— of  .tadgj^  a-«ib.a  wiu  b.  ««  to -k.  th.  .tonr  v.nr  POP- 

'^■A-bS.f'r^'liS^^.ovrf.,.-r***-»iH.r-.  AT-.  K^i. 
JJ/C  CYPRESS.    By  Kirk  Munroe.    164  PP.    Cloth, 

If  £;ni.«.whooBd.,-.«l.wrltl«f  ..tonrlorbonb-tor.h.n.noth.r.itU 

TTOREMAN  JENNIE.   By  Amos  R.  Wells.    A  Young 
P     Woman  of  Bo^eaa.    a68pp.    Cloth,  »i.2S> 

YSTERIOUS    VOYAGE    OF  THE  DAPHNE. 
_     Bv  Lwtrr.  H.  P.  Whitmamh.    305  pp.    Cloth,  f  i.as^ 

_Oi-  of  th.  b«.  «»»Sli:iSL*M"H'*^'"»fc'S^^^ 


;»/ 


JuMG.AaMia  uv« 
fattnrtof  thobook. 


W.  A.  WUd*  &•  Co.,  Bottom  and  Ckitap>. 
6 


iiu.^t,^siass^x^^i^^ 


Dummmm^m^'-  '%X 


By 


fV.  A.  midi  *•  Co.,  Pmblithtrs. 


pHILIP  LEICESTER. 

■K       pp.    Cloth,  I1.35. 


By  Jessie  E.  Wright.    364 


Th*  book  ought  to  make  anv  rawitr  thankful  for  a  good  homa,  and  thoughtful  for 
tht  homtlau  and  naglactad.  —  GtldiH  Rult. 

Thaitory  ii  intanMljr  inMrtiling.  —  CkriitUtn  Im^irtr. 


iAP'N  THISTLETOP. 
Cloth,  I1.25. 


By  Sophie  Swett.    38a  pp. 


Sophia  Swatt  knows  how  to  plaaM  jroung  folka  aa  wall  a«  old ;  for  both  aha  writaa 
aimpia,  unaffaciad,  chaarf  ul  atoriaa  with  a  judicloua  mingling  of  humor  and  plot.  Such 
aatofyla"Cap'nl'hUtlatop.''— rirOMM.  ^ 

ADY  BETTY'S  TWINS.    By  E.  M.  Waterworth. 
117  pp.    With  13  Ulustratioiu.    75  cents. 

Tha  atonr  of  a  Uttla  boy  and  girl  who  did  not  know  tha  maanlag  of  tha  word 
"obadianca."  Thay  laamad  tha  laaaon,  howavar,  aftar  aoma  trying  ospnriancaa. 

r'HE  MOONSTONE  RING.    By  Jennie  Chappell. 
118  pp.    With  6  Ultutntioni.    75  cents. 

A  homa  atory  with  tha  tnia  ring  to  it.  Tha  happanlnga  of  tha  atory  arc  aomawhat 
out  ol  tha  uaual  run  of  avanta. 

Cr'HE  BEACON  llGHT  SERIES.    Edited  by  Nat- 
JL      ALIB  L.  Rice.     $  vols.    Fully  Illustrated.    The  Set,  I3.50. 

The  atoriaa  containad  in  thia  aat  <rf  hooka  are  all  by  walMinown  wrltai*,  aurefutly 
aalactad  and  aditad,  and  thay  cannot,  tharafora,  fail  to  ba  both  halpful  and  inatniettve. 

r'HE   ALLAN  BOOKS.     Edited    by    Miss    Lucy 
Wheklock.    :ovo1s.    Over  400  Ulustntions.    The  set  in  a 
box,  #2.50. 
Ona  of  tha  baat  and  most  attractive  aeta  of  bocdia  (or  Uttla  folks  aver  pubUahad. 
They  are  full  of  bright  and  plaaaing  llluatraiipna  and  charmfaig  litth  atoriaa  juat  adbpicd 
to  young  children.  , 

r*HE  MARJORIE  BOOKS.     Edited  by  Miss  Lucy 
Whkbukk.    6v<ds.    Over  300  Ulustntions.    The  set,  |i. 50. 


A  vary  attractive  aet  of  faooka  for  the  Uttk  folka,  foil  of  irfctuiea  and  good  atoriaa. 


D 


OTS  LIBRARY.   Edited  by  Miss  Lucy  Wheelock. 
10  vols.    Over  400  illustrations.    The  set,  #3.50. 

In  every  way  a  moat  valuable  aat  of  books  for  the  little  people.    Miaa  Wheelock 
e  aUII  in  interesting  and  entertaining  the  little  oaea. 

W.  A.  WUdt  61'  Co.,  Bottom  and  Chkago. 
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/><<mM.  a  />.     _    .  ^,^  ,--  ,  Su»d»y^hool  woAw  I  know  d.  -  iftr—  Ltm- 


S     InttrmtdiattCUuus.    CompUed  by  MM- »•  ^- «'«' 
IthMBiw 

per  hundred  copiea. 


oWNri>^r-5C^(?^X  PICTURES  J»-«jSf  *fj- 
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for  each  Quarter.  ,_i  ,-<ith«»«t«»d«»rfto««MM>o«t- 

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